


L'Amour Fou

by Dokihokidoki



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternative Universe-Another Organisation exists, Black Organization (Meitantei Conan), Black Organization (Meitantei Conan) Takedown, Chance Meetings, Dark Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Developing Relationship, Emotional Manipulation, Eventual Happy Ending, Evil Plans, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kaito acts sweet, Kaito goes crazy, Kaito is the boss of his own organisation, Kidnapping, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Mouri Ran Friendship, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Breakdown, Might be a bit ooc, Minor Character Death, My First Work in This Fandom, Possessive Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Protectiveness, Psycho AU, Revenge, SLOW SLOW UPDATE, Shinichi is strong at first but Kaito wants to break him, Slow Build, Slow To Update, Stalker Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, The title sounds stupid, Yandre Kaito, eventually Kaishin, kaishin - Freeform, rating will increase, this is dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2020-07-10 13:00:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19906114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dokihokidoki/pseuds/Dokihokidoki
Summary: Upon dealing with the sudden death of a close family friend. Kaito is fed up with not being able to avenge his father's death from the people who killed him. So, Kaito decides it's time to cease his childish tactics and take his revenge  goals to the next level. What he wasn't expecting was the disappearance of his tantei-kun and the return of Kudo Shinichi.I changed the title from 'Sweet but psycho' to Amour fou (meaning insane love or obsessional love)Sounds fancier XD~~~~~~Note: Its hard to convey what I actually have in mind for this fanficThis is my first time doing a fanfic for this fandom!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the title from 'Sweet but psycho' to Amour fou (meaning insane love or obsessional love)  
> Sounds fancier ahaha 
> 
> I would just like to say that this story contains very dark themes in later chapters so please read at your own risk. Actually I don't know how many chapters this story will have but just a quick warning anyway. Also this is my first time doing a fanfic for DC so please no hate! ^^ 
> 
> This is a Dark Kaito fan fiction with the pairing of KaiShin. I noticed that not many people have written a fanfic regarding Dark Kaito Kid or an AU where Kaito creates his own organisation and is the leader of it. This story will most likely involve drug use, suicide, kidnapping and violence. 
> 
> I actually got inspiration from the fanfic on A03 called Fool for you by JustCharlieBruh which is amazing but only has one chapter. The updates for this story and many other fanfics will be slow as I am focusing on my last year of Senior school. So, please be patience with me. For the prologue, I will give a more detailed analysis as it might be bit confusing or I will just let you guys interpret to your own accord.
> 
> The second chapter will be longer.  
> Feel free to comment and send Kudos!

Shinichi could feel the lack of somnolence overtake his body as he entered the crime scene. He, Kudo Shinichi had finally returned to Beika after spending 9 years hiding his true identity from the Black Organisation and at the same time trying to protect all of his the loved ones from getting killed.

Shinichi stared at his hands, twitching his fingers a bit, just to reassure himself that this wasn't a dream. It felt so good and yet foreign to be back in his real body. He had gotten used to seeing things differently from Conan's point of view since Ai Haibara had stated multiple times that the likelihood of creating a perfect antidote was very low. However, imagine his surprise and delight when on that fateful morning, Ai had called him with an inkling of emotion in her voice. She had created the perfect prototype antidote. The small boy had wasted no time in running over to Professor Agasa's house where the small scientist was located.

On his arrival, the boy was given a whole minute lecture on the various side effects that could occur and many effects it could have. Soon the pill was handed to him in a small container like a reward for enduring the little scientist's tirade. Conan gawked at it with a sense of incredulity. Everything was happening too fast. The small boy felt a pang of sadness as he realised he would never get a chance to say goodbye to the Detective Boys in this form. They would most likely be dejected by his sudden disappearance. Especially Ayumi.

And for some unknown reason, the image of a certain smirking Thief popped into Conan's head. The boy shook his head violently, hoping the vision would disappear, which it finally did. There was no way that vexatious thief would miss him. Sure, they had spent many times teaming up to clash against a diversity of criminals and solving cases. There was indeed palpable trust between them. But probably not that deep enough to share their goals and true identities. Well actually, KID did manage to somehow find out about his true identity during one of the cases Conan was working on, appearing as Ninzaburo Shiratori.  
But to Conan's surprise, the thief had not ventured to reveal it to anyone. Which Conan was thankful for.

Except, he wasn't that appreciative to the moments where the Thief had chosen to use his secret to his advantage by disguising himself multiple times as Shinichi to escape from many, close encounters with the police and criminals.

And the good thing about returning to his old body was that his supposed affection towards the famous individual would eventually fade away.

Pulling out his red phone, the boy pondered for a moment, debating whether he should at least bid the thief a farewell. No. That would probably be awkward. With a single click, Conan disconnected his phone and number as well as taking out the famous bowtie device and settling it on the table.

And with shaking hands, the boy slid the pill out of the case, allowing it to lie in the palm of his hand. This was it. The moment he had been dreaming about for so long was finally here.

Conan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.  
Goodbye, me.

And with no hesitation, the boy tipped his head back and allowed the pill to fall into the mouth.

Sealing his fate.

However, somewhere else in the big city of Tokyo that was covered in a blanket of drabness. A boy dressed in a black suit was standing at the entrance of a building, tears stained the boy's face as he stared blankly at the rain-soaked streets. A phone was pressed against his ear as the familiar beeping sound of a voice penetrates the air. The voice repetitively stating ''This number does not exist' made the boy let out a hiss of frustration. The man continued to replicate the action of typing the number in and bringing the device back to his ear. The same message popped up. The boy grimaced intensely. Surely there must be a mistake. After many failed attempts to reach the caller, the boy allowed his arm to fall to his side with no vehemence.

With a sniff, the boy wiped away a single tear, letting his poker face take over. Indigo eyes full of bitterness stared at the device, a stare compelling enough to melt it if such superpower existed. With a soft cry, the boy murmured with a touch of cynicism, "Don't leave me too, Tantei-kun..."

A woman's voice caught the boy's attention as he was urged to come with her along with a few scolds on why the hell he was standing in the rain. The boy simply obeyed, remaining silent as he shoved the device into his pocket. Maybe Tantei-kun was too occupied on solving another case to answer the phone. The boy solely petitioned that was the assumption. If something was to happen to the small critic, it would just make the scar on his heart grow bigger. 

The boy known as Kuroba Kaito gazed into the blank space of the room with emptiness in his eyes. His mother's words reverberated somewhere in his barren void. All of the visitors of today's event were like flickering shadows in his eyes. Everything was like a blur. The boy's eyes turned to the smiling portrait of an old man standing upright on the table, encircled with a rainbow of flowers. Their sweet fragrance filled the air. But the redolence didn't have the power to comfort the black sea of mourning faces.

Jii-chan...

Kaito bit his lips, he could feel the stinging sensation of tears swelling in his eyes- his lips were beginning to quiver. Deep down, Kaito wished he could have shown his sincere gratitude towards his father's loyal friend and assistant earlier. After all, the old man had pretty much aided him in every single heist he had organised, even the most ridiculous ones. And not mention the man had acted like a grandfather figure to him throughout the years. Filling up the void that his father had unwillingly left behind.

But now, it was too late. Jii-chan was gone.

It had been a while since he had experienced the emotion, grief. If he could recall correctly, the last time he had lamented for someone was his father, at his funeral, all those years ago.  
Grief was like a thief. It had crept up on him quietly and before he knew it, the feeling took hold of his soul, threatening to consume him entirely. 

He never wanted to experience that emotion again.

Glancing sideways, he winced at his mother's tear-stained face. Her mascara had smudged, mostly from the river of tears. The woman's trembling hand didn't go unnoticed, as Kaito's fingers reached out and grasped it firmly. Kaito was obscurely glad when the action stopped.

Giving her son an affectionate smile, Chikage wiped tears onto her sleeve and rested on Kaito's shoulder. The pair observed in taciturnity at the passers for a good several minutes.

"Can I step out for a bit?" Kaito eventually requested unostentatiously. Chikage nodded nonchalantly, giving her son another tender, melancholy smile. The boy feebly mirrored the gesture.

Hopefully one of his mother's friends would take over the task of soothing her.

As Kaito agonizingly walked through the halls towards the exit, he noticed the crowd of policemen hanging about, mainly protecting the building's entrance. He felt a gush of discomfiture surge up when he spotted Aoko and her father, Nakamori Ginzo.

Kaito was too busy gathering his thoughts to notice the girl approaching. And by the time he had drifted back to actuality, the boy was insignificantly alarmed to find his childhood friend's concerned eyes penetrating right into his soul. Eek.

"Kaito..." Aoko's dishearten voice caught the boy's attention. Plastering on a smile, the boy greeted the brunette with a nod.

"Heya Aoko," the boy spoke with obvious fake cheerfulness, waiting for the other to respond.

The girl lowered her head slightly, her eyes fell to the floor. A blanket of silence wafted between them.

"I-I'm sorry for what happened to Jii-san." The girl eventually uttered.  
Kaito remained silent. Noticing this, the girl continued.

"I just want you to know that if you need anything or need a shoulder to cry on, I'll always have your back....." the girl dawdled off. Kaito couldn't help but smile appreciatively at the girl's soothing advice.

Taking a step forward, Kaito lightly settled his hand on her shoulder. Allowing his reliable poker face to slip onto his face. Through his fingers, he could feel the coldness and slight dampness on the girl's clothing's fabric. He squeezed her shoulder lightly. 

"You don't have to worry about me" came the withdrawn reply. Yet Aoko could hear the anguish in boy's voice.

The girl clenched her fist tightly.

Liar.

"Stop acting so tough. It's ok to cry sometimes." Aoko mumbled.  
But her words fell into stubborn ears as she soon realised Kaito was no longer next to her.

Stupid Bakaito.

The least he could do was listen to her instead of pushing her away over and over again.

The girl fought back her frustration as she elected to return to her father's side. The girl failed to see the shadowy silhouette slip through the building's doors as it closed with a click.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note:
> 
> The story starts with Shinichi in the present arriving at a crime scene as the he had spent the previous night, staying awake ( I don't know why lol). Then there's a flashback though Shinichi's memory of Conan/himself taking the pill while at the same time Kaito is trying to contact Conan before the whole next section is dedicated to Kaito at Jii's Funeral. Then Kaito just mysteriously disappears.
> 
> Feel free to comment and send Kudos! See you in the next chapter!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Great Detective of the East returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg! Thank you for 100 hits guys! Wasn't expecting this story to get so much attention! And thank you for the kudos!!

As weeks went on, the name of the small detective, Edogawa Conan eventually became a memory. Living on only in the minds of those who remembered him or had the chance to meet him. No one knew where the little kid who had appeared mysteriously one day went to. The boy had pretty much vanished from the face of Japan without giving so much as a goodbye.

Rumours soon spread around the city like wildfire, mainly fuelled by the media along with their ridiculous assumptions. The most common theory was the boy had clandestinely returned to America with his parents. Reason unknown, but many say the boy had left due to the lack of Criminal Movement that had declined.

To be quite frank, that speculation was ludicrous yet at the same time, probably the most practical one the media had come up with, in Shinichi's opinion.

Another theory of that topic stemmed from media was the prediction that another organisation had surfaced. Whether the new organisation's intentions were good or bad also remained a mystery.  
Ultimately, the public's interest in these two trending topics died down. And soon, many other stories took over the screens and newspapers.

Nonetheless, it came to the citizens' attention that upon the disappearance of Conan, another favourite of Japan had also seemingly vanished into the darknesses, leaving nothing behind.

The Great Phantom thief had been unusually dormant for the past few months, leaving the citizens and the Police force starving of boredom. Even the inspector of the Tokyo district, Nakamori Ginzo was puzzled by this finding, resulting in him becoming quite depressed as there were no KID heists notes for him solve.

Perhaps the thief had decided to travel aboard, taking interest in other foreign jewels.

And if that was the case...it would be very unpropitious for the other countries to give the white sinner the same adoration that he received in his own country.

Of course, when the public discovered the news of the return of the Great Detective of the East. Many rejoiced. At least one of their favourites was back in action. Because at the same time as the Detective's arrival, the casualties of murderings had strangely risen.

\--------------------------------------------------------  
**> >PRESENT DAY<<<**

Shinichi wrinkled his nose in apparent revulsion he spotted the dead man lying on his stomach, not three feet beyond the radius of the alleyway, in a pool of blood that was almost dried and gave the area a sickly-sweet butchershop odour. Police cars were distributed in every corner of the street since there was speculation that the culprit was still hanging around the area.

Policemen crowded around the body, snapping photos and taking any evidence they could find.

It was apparent in Shinichi's eyes that the man had been shot through the head, mostly by a skilled sniper. As he stood over the body, he noticed 3 distinct gunshots in the shape of a triangle. Strange. Shinichi crouched down, taking his time to analyse the pattern. If the man was shot, then there should be a remain of bullet's shell somewhere. Glancing around, Shinichi's eyes narrowed. When he failed to find his testimony. The frown deepened. It was very uncommon for murderers to take their evidence of the killing with them.

"Eh? Kudo-kun?!" a familiar voice made Shinichi glance over his shoulder; the man smiled when his eyes landed on the speaker.

"Ah! Long-time no see Megure-keibu!" the man waved to a plumpy man dressed in a brown coat, a fedora decorated his head.

The man waddled over, following behind him were the familiar faces of Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato.

"You should have called me!" the man exclaimed in exasperation, as the group got closer to where Shinichi was standing.

"Ah! It was just a last-minute thing", Shinichi answered hastily, rubbing the back of his neck with definite discomfort. It was sort of the truth. He just happened to stumble upon the crime scene when taking his daily stroll to his favourite cafe.

Noticing the other's chagrin, Megure was quick to change the subject, to Shinich's delight.  
"So Kudo-kun, have you found anything so far?" the man watched with jollity as the face of detective brightened up.

Folding his arms across his chest, Shinichi began his deductions in a voice full of confidence.

Shinichi was a little surprised when he found out the victim's former occupation. The man had been formally an ex-member of the Black Organization, according to one of the police's reports. The man had gone under another pseudo and was wanted by the police for being the main suspect of many other killings. Shinichi shuddered at his eyes skittered across the infamous name. Shinichi knew what the Black Organization was capable of, take it from experience.

Could it be that the culprits of this case were the Black Organization members themselves? But before Shinichi could voice out his opinion, his eyes fell on something embedded into the alley's wall. How could he have missed that?

As Shinichi approached closer, blue eyes widened in astonishment. It was a card. Yanking the card of the wall, Shinichi flipped it over as another look of awe laced the boy's face. He found himself staring at a Joker. Why would a playing card be at a crime scene?

Shinichi's eyes narrowly dilated as he took in the new erudition of the item in his hand. There was nothing suspicious so far. Lamentably, his examination was put to a halt as he felt the sensation of a headache rising. A clear sign that he needed his dose of coffee.

Spinning around on his heels, the boy sauntered over to exchange a few words with the rest of the group, promising to return to the site after his coffee break. Megure responded to the boy's decision with a wave of his hand, replying that he shouldn't push himself and he should put his health first. Shinichi returned the man's concern with another flicker of a smile.

 **Zing**.

Shinichi let out a wheezy gasp as he felt his hair on the back of his neck spring up. He was no stranger to that feeling. The sound that had escaped the boy's lips, caught the rest of the group's awareness as they eyed the detective with unhidden concern.

"Kudo-kun? What's wrong?"

Someone was unquestionably watching them. Shinichi knew he could always trust his feelings. Peering over his shoulder, the boy narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area, hoping to find something out of the ordinary. The boy was abruptly met with dissatisfaction.

Maybe the lack of sleep was finally taking its toll on him.

"Ah, sorry about that Megure-keibu. My mind must have been playing tricks on me". Shinichi responded, hoping he sounded convincing.

"Or maybe it's a sign from your brain, telling you to stop relying on coffee as your main substance and start eating properly" Sato muttered, loud enough for Shinchi's ears to catch. Shinichi scowled.

  
"I know how to take care of myself, thank you very much" the boy huffed indignantly as he walked past the group. His comment earned an eye-roll from the female officer.

Why did the Great Detective of the East have to be so stubborn?

As Shinichi made his way out the alleyway, the boy could still feel the familiar feeling of being watched. If the Detective had taken the chance to glance up, he would have not missed the pair of predatory sapphire eyes almost identical to his, following his every movement from the building's roofline. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, we will get to see the crime scene from another person's point of view! Plus stalking! And I will try to make the next chapter longer. It's just I have found it quite time-consuming trying to extend the chapter's word lengths. But I'LL TRY MY BEST!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito finds himself trapped on the roof just above the crime scene and discovers something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I appreciate the comments and kudos!! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I wasn't expecting to write 2000 words but I got caught up in the moment lol 
> 
> Took 4 days to write this T_T
> 
> Scroll down to see the chapter's reference picture!

Kaito woke up to the sound of shrilling cries of police sirens and shouting. His eyes fluttered open. Taking in every ray of the morning light and without a doubt, he knew he had overslept. The surrounding noise around him was of a day in full swing, traffic-heavy. With a soft grunt, the boy rolled over to his side; peering over the edge of the roof.

The alleyway was surprisingly crowded, to Kaito's displeasure.  
The loud chatter of new reporters and policemen filled his ears. Great. Now he was trapped up here. Returning to lie on his back, Kaito stirred about, growling when he couldn't get comfortable. How the hell did he get himself into this position in the first place? Closing his eyes, the boy hummed for a moment before letting a tug of smirk lace his lips. Oh yeah. He remembered now. He had murdered an ex-member of Black Organisation last night. The boy huffed quietly at the memory that played in his head. The information that the man had given him was of no use to him. It was the same monotonous information of a few unknown names and old locations of where the Organisation once stood, but never the information he wanted. The man strummed his fingers impatiently on the roof's tiles, heaving a sigh of exasperation.

The now-deceased man, honestly, wasn't worth his time in investigating. If he had known the man was just an old 50 years old man with a tedious job, he wouldn't have bothered to pull out his revolver. Yet, he still did. Along with wasting a bullet. A swift blow to the head was all it took to silence the whining that had escaped from the man's plump lips. Kaito sighed again, changing his position. There was no point moping on past actions. What's done was done. Though, he blamed his sanctimonious goal for making him pull the trigger. He couldn't help it. He had made an oath to himself that this time he was going to accomplish his revenge's goal and destroy Pandora.  
No distractions allowed.

Ah. The boy shook his head. Don't get sidetracked. One thing at a time. The boy reminded himself as he recalled the predicament he was in.

Right now, he needed to focus on finding a way to get off the roof without getting caught.

He wasn't planning on causing an uproar today. And hopefully, Lady luck was his side. After all, he was still the Great Kaito Kid. But just taking an interest in a different profession instead of stealing jewels.

Turning his head to the side, Kaito watched in amusement as he spotted a group of policemen bickering loudly enough for him hear. The dispute was vocalized on how the victim was murdered.

Amateurs. The boy solely scoffed before deciding to entertain himself with his deck of cards.  
He allowed his mind to become filled with numerous escape routes possibilities. None of them so far seemed suitable to put into action.

A Queen, a king, hearts, clubs, diamonds, and finally there should be...

The hand stopped moving midway between his shuffling when he realised one of the cards was missing. Where was the joker? The boy began to search in despair through his jacket's pockets as the feeling of dread grew. That was his favourite card! The boy was ready to pout once more before he gasped in remembrance. His body straightened up, followed by a snap his fingers. He had shot the card from his card's gun at the last night when he had failed to get the other's attention. That meant...  
The boy groaned internally as he realised what he needed to do.  
Ugh. Maybe Lady luck wasn't on his side at all.

Rolling on his stomach, the boy began crawling on his stomach in a very uncomfortable manner towards the edge of the roof. Cerulean eyes brimmed with concentration as they peeped over the edge.

Ah. There it was. The object of his attention was embedded in the alley's wall just beneath him. Right next to the fire escape ladder.  
Kaito breathed a sigh of relief.  
Now the next step was, retrieving it.

Drawing the jacket's hoodie over his head, Kaito winced at the sound of the ladder creaking at the unexpected pressure of his foot. The boy glared heatedly at the metal structure. At if he was going to let a rusty old ladder stop him from getting his joker card. Kaito's body tensed when he heard movement from behind. Glimpsing over his shoulder, Kaito's face scrunched up with pure disgust when he found himself scrutinising a policeman; obviously on an interim, as he was noisily supping on his beverage.

Ugh. How Revolting.

When the policeman made no sign of leaving from his post, Kaito was mentally at that moment picturing himself stabbing the bothersome fellow.

Go home already. Kaito theoretically begged as he hung off the ladder. He was beginning to lose tactility in his fingers. At least his other hand was occupied in retrieving the card. Kaito narrowed his eyes. He was so close.

Just a little bit further...

Abruptly a ripple of gasps caught the boy off guard as he flailed about, almost face planting into the ground beneath him. The boy scarcely managed to regain his balance. Clutching to the ladder's rail like it was his only lifeline (which at this current stage, it was), the man proceeded to send a wave of glares at the other's back, who was now gawking at something from the opposite direction. What was everybody looking at? Following everyone's gaze, Kaito squinted as he tried to find the cause of the commotion through the mass of bodies.

Kaito made a strangled sort of noise when his eyes finally landed on the source. No way. Could it be-? Kaito doesn't dare to breathe as the person of interest appeared from the crowd, confirming his speculation. And thus, the first thing Kaito coaxed himself to glance upon were those familiar sapphire eyes that he had dreamed of seeing for so long.

Shinichi, Kaito's mind cried in ecstasy. So much for the no distraction plan. But knowing that his beloved detective was alive and well, placed his soul at ease.

The boy had to suppress the urge to jump off the roof and throw himself at the man before him because if he did, he would most likely gain a few broken bones. Plus getting arrested on the spot. And Kaito couldn't let that happen. Not without seeing his Shinichi in person.

So with a sigh of frustration, Kaito reluctantly scrambled up the ladder and threw himself sloppily onto the slate tiles. All the while not taking his eyes off the moving form. As he continued to gape, Kaito soon realized that the photos that he had plastered across his Penthouse's bedroom wall, didn't really do the man any justice in capturing his beautiful features. The man was much more charming in real life, Kaito affirmed to himself.  
Kaito shuddered with presentiment when he spotted the blue eyes that had bewitched him ever since their first meeting survey the area.  
Kaito honestly didn't know what made him fall head over heels for the homicide detective. Perhaps it was the way Shinichi's face perpetually lit up every time he discovered a clue or the culprit. Oh, how could he forget that haughty smirk that only emerged when the detective could feel the sweet smell of arrogant triumph.

  
Kaito bit at his lip in hesitation when he felt himself being pulled into a reverie dream. Yet this illusion had Shinichi. Kaito licked his lips. It was a truly tempting illusion. Unfortunately, Kaito couldn't resist. And swiftly, he was transported to a room. Kaito blinked, absorbing in his surroundings. This was his classroom. The left side of the man's lip tugged upwards creating a sinister smirk on his youthful face. Oh yes. He liked this scenario. It was one of his favourites. This scene included a vivid illustration of his Shinichi panting and gasping beneath him, pleading and calling out his name. All while with Kaito's fingers agilely wrapped around his throat. God, the vision was so erotic. It was understandable he would be turned on to such a scene. So when he became aware of the bulge that had risen from below his pelvis, the boy could only chuckle brazenly. He would have to deal with his small problem later.

Blue eyes fell onto the person in front of him, Kaito could only smile with tenderness. One day, those visions in his mind would come true. he’d make sure of it.

Kaito's eyes widened immediately when he realised Shinichi was taking a glance in his direction. The boy shot down as fast as a bullet, flattening himself into the roof's tiles; silently praying to not be detected. Could Shinichi still sense him? At the thought of that, Kaito didn't know whether that was a good or bad attribute. Since that would totally ruin his plan on shadowing the young man. To his relief, Shinichi made no implication that he had found him. Hence, Kaito continued with his previous action. Letting his eyes gaze freely.

'Oh, is he done already?' Kaito mused, noticing the detective had moved on to exchanging a few inaudible words with the rest of the police. A wave of a hand and smile was a clear indication of the detective's departure. Well, if Shinichi was leaving then that was his cue to follow. But he still needed to reclaim his card. Shuffling to the edge once more, Kaito was ready to dive down. However, Kaito's plan was put to a standstill when the boy noticed that his card was no longer embedded in the Alley's wall. In a grip of silent panic, Kaito's eyes darted about wildly, desperately soliciting out the discoverer. Someone must have taken it when he was caught up in his daydream. His heartbeat began to beat faster, Shinichi was nearing the alleyway's exit. If Kaito didn't come up with a verdict soon, he would no doubt lose Shinichi again. Shit. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he was letting it slip away.

Sparing one concluding glance to the departing man, Kaito sniffed profoundly. There was only one correct resolution to this situation.

  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------  
The hooded man moved swiftly, blending with the crowd, far away just enough to keep the other from being too suspicious, yet still in sight. Kaito felt slightly trapped in the endless sea of people. There was noise everywhere. He heard someone's cell phone ringing, a child wailing, probably lost his mom in this overcrowded place, two people fighting angrily over one of them pushing the other. On top of that, it was extremely hot for the morning. Sweat was trickling down everyone's face. But Kaito just brushed his sweat away with a swipe of his sleeves. Feeling this was the right moment, Kaito enthusiastically whipped out his black camera; clicking away at the button repeatedly until satisfied with the results. He couldn't wait to add the latest photos to his wall collection.

Blue eyes slid up just in time to see Shinichi glide smoothly toward a cafe. The follower quickened his pace. As he arrived, the boy squashed his face against the window, ignoring the uncanny looks he was receiving. The cafe itself looked inviting, on the other side of those doors was warmth and smell of brewing coffee. He forgot that his Shinichi had somewhat a tempestuous relationship with his coffee. Pale fingers dipped into the jacket's pocket, coins rattled at the movement. He had enough to buy a hot chocolate. Kaito did once try to emulate Shinichi's taste of drinking coffee. That experience had cost him ¥100 from a vending machine. He wasn't that committed to spending a fortune on something he didn't like.

The content came in a copper-coloured can with a printed advertisement of cocoa beans on it. He took a big gulp. It was putrid, every taste bud said "Sour overload, I repeat sour overload. Where is the sugar?" Listening to his taste bud, Kaito didn't hesitate to drain every last drop from the can and his mouth into the nearest bush, then disposed of the can into the bin. The boy then spent most his time chugging down a whole mug of hot chocolate and devouring a chocolate peanut butter, raspberry ripple sundae to get rid of the bitter taste. Yeah. He was never going to drink Coffee again, even if it was Shinichi's favourite beverage.

So with a soft push on the door, the man sauntered in.

The waiter greeted him with tired eyes, offering the menu and seating him right opposite where his detective sat. What luck. And did he mention that his hot chocolate got served alongside with Shinichi's mug of Black Coffee?

Kaito eagerly swallowed the drink in one smooth motion, earning a few gasps. The dark, rich liqud coated his tongue thickly before flowing down his throat. It's warmth radiated through his body, drawing contentment sigh from his lips.

Giving a sideways glance, Kaito looked disappointed when he found the Shinichi's mug of steaming coffee was left untouched. He was absorbed in something else. Kaito felt the surge of a jealously bubbling up. Oh, he envied whatever had caught Shinichi's undivided attention. Those eyes should be focused on him. Only on him. But Shinichi didn't know who he was yet. Only as Kid.

Wait...

Kaito's eyes automatically brightened up with playfulness, the emotion washed away the usual emptiness that his orbs often held. He knew exactly how he could catch Shinichi's attention. Why didn't he think of that before? Plus, this would mark Homicide Detective's first time in attending his heist as himself and not as Conan.  
'Kaito, you are a genius' the boy mentally praised as he jumped up from his position.  
It was time to revive a certain Phantom Thief. The boy rubbed his hands gleefully. He couldn't wait to show the city and Shinichi his new improvements.

EXTRA:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had intended Mouri Ran to walk into the cafe along with Sonoko to chat with Shinichi. At some point they were going to talk about KID and his lack of Heists which Kaito overhears which then leads to Kaito wanting to bring KID back for the sake of getting Shinichi's attention. 
> 
> Extra:  
> If you are wondering why Kaito quit being Kaito Kid for awhile was because he felt he had failed in avenging his father so he cut ties with the second alias and became the boss of his organisation. But he still carries the Card's gun as an extra tool. 
> 
> And for this universe: Kaito is 21 and so is Shinichi. So...sort of college students??


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi gets a morning surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Image didn't work for KID's private note T_T  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> Sorry for the short chapter.

If Shinichi had known what was on the other side of his door that morning, he would have never opened it. That was his first mistake. Alas, he wasn't gifted with any psychic abilities that allowed him to foresee into the future. So, he opened the door like any right-minded person would do, expecting to see something normal. But there was nothing normal about the scene in front of him. His usually peaceful morning had been shattered into pieces by the shrill demands of reporters swarming his doorsteps. Some were even trying to shove past his tired form; pulling at his PJs's pants and shirt. The boy scowled deeply. Have they forgotten that he was part of Law enforcement? He could easily press charges against them for trespassing on his private property. And for a damn good reason.

At the idea, Shinichi couldn't help but ghostly smile. How amusing that would be.

Feeling the sudden throbbing pain on his foot, the boy's mind unhappily returned back to the current disturbance.

"Out! Get out!" Shinichi barked, swatting the unscrupulous reporters back into the sea of bodies. Cameras and fluffy microphones were jostled into his face, earning the correspondents a disdainful glare from the irritated man.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shinichi demanded with jurisdiction, placing both hands on the doorway. His bones were beginning to ache from the effort he was putting in to protect his cherished personal space. His reputation was at stake here too.

"Have you not seen the news?!" one of the reporters gasped in shock, mouth hanging open. Shinichi blinked the sleepiness out his eyes. "I just woke up" he answered impassively.

At the counterclaim, murmurs spread through the crowd as another reporter stepped forward, handing Shinichi a newspaper. How nice of her.

He grudgingly took it, shaking it out. What he saw written on the front page made his heart stop.

No way.

**_WILL THE GREAT DETECTIVE OF EAST ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF THE GREAT PHANTOM WHO HAS BEEN MISSING IN ACTION AND PROTECT THE CRISMISION LADY?_ **

Shinichi's breath hitched; his blue eyes scanned across the bold black letters in disbelief. KID was personally challenging him? He didn't whether to laugh or be pleased with that verdict. Straightening up, now he was really awake. The adrenaline rush that he had felt as Conan was beginning to return through his veins.

To be frank, he didn't know why he was stunned by this revelation since this WAS the Great Kaito KID they were talking about here Plus from his knowledge as Conan-his misremembered counterpart, the thief had always a proclivity to spice things up. Especially when it came to announcing his Heists. That meant making his precious Police task experience Hell. It was no wonder Nakamori-keibu was losing it. That thief was driving that man to the brink of insanity. At least he had been spared of the thief's tricks and traps, thanks to his pint-size.

Shinichi clicked his tongue at the memory. The Phantom Thief had clearly never experienced the word _'tone it down'._

Well, that was a topic he was unquestionably going to issue to the Thief.

Rolling the newspaper up neatly, the boy returned his gaze to the awaiting thousand pairs of eyes.

"Thank you" was all Shinichi offered to the invading crowd; proceeding to slam the door in their faces. Muffled yells were his reply as he backed away into his bedroom. Typing in a familiar number, Shinichi unhurriedly threw on a button-down shirt and slipped on some trousers. Breakfast could wait.

_Click._

"Kudo-kun! Have you heard the news!? Are you on your way?" Megure's voice responded from the device. Why did everyone have to be so fanatical this morning?

"Yes, I am Megure-keibu. I merely had to deal with some undesired guests that decided to give me a morning's surprise." Shinichi replied grimly, digging his feet into his leather shoes.

"Ah..would be expected since the thief is personally demanding for your appearance at his heist." The man laughed lightly. Though, Shinichi could not sympathise with that remark. And before the boy could reply, he was cut off by a bellowing male's voice in the background.

"THIS TIME I WILL GET YOU FOR SURE KAITO KID!" the voice resounded through the speakers and the bedroom, making Shinichi's ears turn red. He withdrew the phone insignificantly from his ear. Glad to see some things haven't changed.

"I see Nakamori-keibu has already found out. Has he already solved the note?"

There was a moment of quietness from the other side of the line.

"Actually Kudo-kun, it wasn't a riddle at all. Just a simple-looking invitation to the heist, the time that it will take place which is at Midnight by the way. The other inspector added. "And what the targeted jewel will be".

Shinichi couldn't help but raise a brow at the new information.

"Are you sure it's not a fake KID?"

"We analyzed his notorious doodle. It 's original. The doodle matches up to all the other previous heists sent by him".

A frown fell onto Shinichi's lips.

'What dastardly deed are you planning, Kaito Kid?' Shinichi hissed to himself, stalking up to the door and turning the knob. He peeked out of the crack. His head swivelled left and right. To his delight, there was not a single, snobbish reporter insight. He sighed. Another headline story must have taken their attention. Not it mattered to Shinichi. He was just happy to be able to walk out of his house with freedom. With a step full of confidence, the detective marched out of the door. He didn't get far when he heard something brush against his shoe. The detective looked down. That wasn't there before. Wobbling like a one-legged flamingo, he bent down and removed the piece of paper that had made it landing on his sole.

There. Staring back at him was that absurd, thief's signature, smirking arrogantly on the pristine note. There was an even a heart next to it. That was an upgrade to the older version at least.

On the note was written:

\--------------------------------------------

**I saw you had some inconsiderate visitors appear on your doorstep this morning. I had the pleasure of giving them a distraction. Don't worry my detective, you don't need to fret on what to give me in exchange.**

**All I want is your undivided attention.**

**\---------------------------------------**

Shinichi scoffed loudly as he landed on the concluding words. Flirtatious as ever I see. And don't expect me to feel graceful towards your intrusion. Blue eyes glared with displeasure. 

Eventually, realisation entered Shinichi's brain as his lips parted to allow a gasp to escape.

Wait..if that truly was KID's signature on the paper..that meant...

Shinichi's legs sprang forward with grace and purpose. The once sleep-deprived eyes were now brimming with determination. His feet pounded against the concrete, the springing rhythmic steps of five seconds earlier had long since disappeared. He quickened his pace to an all-out sprint when he spotted a fleeing shadow dart around the corner of the gate. He smirked darkly.

"KID!" he yelled with conviction, arriving at the spot where the sender (who was no doubt KID) had stood. However, to Shinichi's frustration, he was met with an empty street. He gritted his teeth; blue eyes scattering to every unoccupied street's corner; daring for anything hidden to reveal itself. It promptly came to his consideration that the thief had once more slipped through his fingers, like melted butler. The detective heaved an exhalation, casting his head back. He was a minute too late.

Booting a rock to the side in reserved indignation, the detective concluded he may as well start his voyage to the police station. Pocketing his hands into the warmth of his trousers, the detective began to walk in the opposite direction.

A few metres away, taking refuge behind a street's wall, a man wearing black clothes and a black cap shielding his face was panting laboriously. His hand was tightly clutching the shirt's fabric, unaware of the salty drops of sweat trickling down his forehead.

Oooh. That was dangerously close. Yet, at the same time, the adrenaline had flooded his system like it was on an intravenous drip - right into his blood at full pelt when he heard the footsteps approaching his hide-out. Luckily, they never drew any closer.

He had forgotten how athletic his detective was, thanks to the boy's reigning soccer training.

A wild smile tugged at the man's lips as he peeked around the corner to observe the fainting outline of the departing detective.

_See you tonight, my dear Shinichi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next chapter!! Thank you for the Kudo! And feel free to leave a comment!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heist has begun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! See you in the next chapter!! I hope you guys!! I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long XD

Nakamori Ginzo had been having a mixture of bad luck and good luck today. The good luck started when he heard that the Great Kaito Kid had returned to the city and even found a personal note dedicated to him, in his mailbox. He was absolutely ecstatic. His cold heart had been healed. The inspector no longer needed to rely on drinking thousands of mugs of coffee. But on the other hand, the rest of his day had started off terribly. He and his daughter had a violent argument rather that morning-mainly focusing on her aversion towards Kaito KID. That argument had prompted him to skip breakfast. A decision he was currently regretting. And during his desperate dash to the Police station, he ran into another person and ended up getting coffee spilt onto his tie. Oh, let's not neglect to mention the unexpected appearances of the trio 'detectives' that had decided to make themselves at home in his cosy office. He would have kicked them out if wasn't for Megure-keibu to tell him that KID had personally invited them to his heist.

Well, so much for returning to that cyclic routine of just him and his task force chasing after the Thief.

The blonde, British one, labelled as Saguru Hakuba had apparently just arrived a few hours ago after taking the last flight from London to Japan. Was no one going to question how the British detective had received a heist note in his mailbox despite London being 5,870 miles away?

It was a surprising thought to Nakarmoi, to think KID would put in that extra effort. Anyway, the dark circles under Saguru's eyes were a clear giveaway of the lack of sleep the man had gotten on the plane. Now, moving onto the next detective. The man gritted his teeth as he stared at the dark-skinned Osakan, named Hattori Heiji. The first thing to come into his mind was the fact; the man was way too loud. Why would KID even invite a detective like Hattori to his heist?

The man wasn't even a regular!

However, the Osakan detective obviously wasn't pleased to be here. And could it get any worst?

Oh, yes, it could.

The final detective that had decided to show up was no other than the Great Detective of East- Kudo Shinichi. Why the hell did KID have to invite him too!? This man was the one who had fired a gunshot from the helicopter many heists before, making him one of the closest people to corner the Great Thief. This also meant he, Nakarmoi Ginzo could never really forgive the boy for what happened on that night.

That arrogant brat had stolen the spotlight from him and now the attention of KID.

Oh, had he mentioned he was compelled to share a police car with the trio detectives all the way to heist?

\---------------------------------------------------------

"Could you move over you git? I'm feeling very squashed here ya know," Hattori complained loudly from the backseat of the police car. His complaint was followed with a detestable glare towards the blonde man; sitting on the other side — the man in the middle was staring blankly ahead. The blonde man breathed out a resigned sigh. "I afraid I cannot move any further. And can you stop glaring at me? It's not my fault you decided to sit there of all places".

"Oi Kudo! Help me out here!!" the man turned his concentration to the person in the middle, wearing an expression of restlessness.

"Will both of you just be quiet?" Kudo Shinichi asked, sounding very tired and thoroughly exasperated. "You've been arguing over this issue for the last twenty minutes.

"Shoulda known you wouldn't be any help", Hattori grumbled, diverting his gaze elsewhere.

"Is it too late to ask to be moved to another vehicle?" Shinichi questioned under his breath. Shinichi's proposal was fulfilled with an aggressive answer from the passenger seat.

"Do you know we are going to be late because of you three!? Bickering over who's going to sit where? You are not in High school anymore!!" the man sitting beside the driver barked, making the trio recline back into the seats insignificantly. Even the poor driver had shuffled away in his chair.

"And you!" the man's head swivelled around; served with an accused finger pointing at the startled detective in the middle.

"Don't you dare interfere with this heist like you did last time!" Nakarmoi growled. Hence, the man then continued to send daggers from where he sat, feeling a little gleeful when he saw the other detective awkwardly glance to something outside the window.

"Oi Kudo, why is that old geezer glaring at you like he wants to strangle you?" Hattori hissed into Shinichi's ear. The other detective glanced with a hint of irritation once more to the glaring man before saying "It seems he has not forgiven me for crashing his heist at the Clock Tower".

The dark-skinned man loudly scoffed.

"Ungraceful man. If it weren't for you, KID would have surely escaped again!" the Osakan detective gave the man an equally irritated glare, earning a sigh from the blonde-haired man.

"I'M STILL HERE YOU IDIOTS!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Had KID's heists always been this crowded? Shinichi couldn't recall. The yellings and screamings belonging to females voices emanated from the crowd, making his ears ring. He couldn't help but wonder if Sonoko was among the group of girls. For once, he really wished he was small again, just for the sake of getting through the mass of bodies. The security was over the top as always. Plus, why did the museum owner have to agree to allow the public and the meddlesome media into the building? At least the audience was restricted to the central area of the museum. It would have been very bothersome if the owner had allowed everyone to roam freely. The jewel was no doubt, stunning. The gem was displayed on a scarlet pillow, making it somewhat camouflaged, if it wasn't for the lights bouncing off the surface. The public spent an appropriate time "ooh"ing and "aah" ing over.

Glass and five policemen surrounded the jewel. It was no surprise the Thief had his eyes on it. Looking around, it had transpired to him that he had lost Hakuba and Hattori in the crowd Which he didn't mind as that just provided him time to explore the area. He felt no guilt leaving Hattori to the mercy of Nakarmoi-keibu's pinching technique.

The man smirked as his cerulean eyes noticed an unguarded area not far from the mob. Ensuring that no one was glancing in his direction, Shinichi scurried quietly over to the destination and peeked around the corner. The detective shuddered as he felt the coldness of the corridor, indicating no one had been here yet. Or that's what he was made to think. He advanced further into the passage, the noise of the crowd faded away, and he soon left to the low resonate of the area. Oh, he had almost forgotten about the warnings about the 'tricks' that were frequently left behind by the Thief.

At the remembrance, Shinichi stuck a foot out and started probing the floor, expecting either the floor to disintegrate or for something to fall from above.

Shinichi nearly reached the end of the hallway only to jump at the sound of footsteps.

And the warmth of something being placed on his shoulder. He peered down. There were fingers. Though, what was more concerning was the fact he didn't know who those digits belonged to.

"Nakarmoi-keibu is calling for you, Kudo," a distinctively male voice made Shinichi turn around. His eyebrows drew together when he found himself facing an ordinary law enforcement officer. The gaze shifted to the red marks on the man's cheeks.

"I see he's already done the infamous cheek pinching method," Shinichi stated, allowing his shoulders to relax. The man laughed, a bit too carefree in Shinichi's opinion. He watched as the man's unoccupied hand rose to rub the wounded skin.

"How did you know I was here?" Shinichi asked, eyes filled with suspicion as he brushed past the man. Surprisingly the man followed, matching his pace. "I went after you. I was a bit concern that you would get caught in one of the inactive traps so I couldn't help but worry for your safety."

Shinichi nodded slowly at the response, letting his eyes scrutinize the man beside him. He couldn't forget that KID was a master of disguises.

"Thank you for your concern. But the one you should really be looking out for is Hattori since he's the inexperienced one. I've had my fair share of heists".

"Ah, I see." came the single response.

Shinichi had been expecting the man to ask him elaborate and be nosy like a typical police offer should, but instead, he was alarmed when the man solely proclaimed, "Roger that!" and gave Shinichi a quick salute. The action was entertaining enough for a laugh to escape his lips. Even the man was beaming, though the predatory eyes didn't match the smile.

This man could be KID.

"Do you mind if I pinch your cheek again? Just need a little reassurance".

Shinichi was taken back when the man answered with a mirthful "Of course!" and slid into his personal space. The feeling of the hot breath was his face was a significant benefaction of the relative closeness the man had excreted.

"You ok?" the man inquired with concern, leaning in as Shinichi leaned outwards. Ok, that's a bit too close.

"I'm fine." came the flat answer.

The pinch didn't last. Typically, if someone were wearing a mask, the fabric would tear eventually due to the consistent tugs. But not this mask. Shinichi dejectedly stepped back, feeling a little disappointment when nothing happened.

"Thank you for your time." was all Shinichi responded, taking to the chance to escape and walk to where the two other detectives were standing.

As he did, the feeling of being watched aggravated him enough to have his head glance over his shoulder to find the same policeman innocently smiling at him.

Strange.

Shinichi would have gone to confront the man (again) if it wasn't for the group of civilians that entered his vision. He knew the man would have vanished by then. So, he veered his attention to the other two men; no wait make that three since Nakarmoi-keibu had decided to join the dispute.

"This heist is violence-free!! Put that stick away!!" Nakamori commanded, shaking his fist at the said object.

On the opposite side, the Osakan detective groaned. "Ain't happening! If you permitted that glasses boy to throw soccer balls at the Thief's face then why can't I defend myself with my kendo stick!"

Shinichi raised a brow. Was Hattori seriously going to go with that answer?

"You could hit someone with that," Hakuba said matter-a-factly.

At the answer, Hattori gave the blonde man a disapproving glare. Shinichi would have done the same.

"That's the whole purpose of it, ya git.

Shinichi would have interrupted the quarrel for the sake of not wanting to be the witness of an accidental murder case when abruptly, the lights went out. Was it already Midnight? With a futile attempt to see through the darkness, the man tried to make his way to the case.

Screams exploded from the public along with the Nakarmoi's shouts.

There could only be one reason for this commotion.

The Thief had entered the scene.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Something was off. Hakuba couldn't help but surveyed the museum with a critical gaze. When the lights went out, his gaze went straight to the display case-expecting the Thief's appearance in a cloud of smokes. Yet, it never came. The blonde man could feel multiple officers gather around him and allowed them to approach further, as they shifted around him to protect the jewel in any way possible. Nakamori could be heard shouting countless orders in his strive to regain power, his voice ringing throughout the hall.

He could see Shinichi draw up closer towards the case, the man's face coated in the darkness, hiding whatever expression he held. Glancing to his watch tickling away on his wrist, the man frowned. It was rare for the Thief to be late. It was already 12:02 am. The power had been out for merely 20 seconds before finally, a spotlight swiftly appeared, surprising the crowd and aiming itself towards one of the many balconies in the main museum floor near the entrance. With a futile attempt to see through the darkness, Hakuba squinted, hoping to catch any signs of movements. There was nothing.

His eyes veered to his detective associates, wondering if they could see anything. His gaze stopped at Shinichi. The man seemed to be in some trance as his eyes and head were gradually moving, fixated on whatever had caught his attention.

Eventually, the crowd decided to voice out their frustrations, to his dismay.

"Where's KID!?" one man yelled.

"KID-SAMA!!!"

"I MISSED WORK FOR THIS!!"

Hakuba grimaced. Had the public forgotten their cherished idol was an International, wanted criminal? Another cry of demand for the sighting of the Thief answered the man's thought. Clearly, they have.

"Prepare yourselves, men, the thief could be anywhere" Nakamori's voice echoed. Then, in the same timespan, an awfully, familiar voice bellowed out to the audience. A voice Hakuba never thought he would hear again.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" the male, steady voice seemed to be coming from all corners of the room. "Thank you for the warm welcome!"

Hakuba felt the rise of a chuckle in his throat when hearing that. Warm welcome, his ass. The only hospitality this man was going to receive was thousands of police cars and feasibly, at some point, handcuffs.

The man continued to speak. "I would also like to send my sincere appreciations to my dear Taskforce and Nakamori-keibu for organizing such a lovely party and bringing such pleasant guests. Hakuba didn't need to visualize to know the man was probably simpering when saying those words–it must have made Nakamouri furious. If anyone could see the inspector–his face had likely flared up.

“KID! Tonight’s the night you'll be caught!” Nakamori ushered his hands, signalling a following, “FIND HIM!"

As all the police members charged in several directions, the Thief laughed. "I think you should leave the treasure hunt to my dear detectives, don’t you think, keibu?".

"Challenge accepted!" the trio declared in unison. The Thief laughed once more. "Then let's get started!"

The public waited for more, but what followed next was silence.

"Oi! Turn back the lights!" Hattori called into the darkness. No answer. Suddenly another spotlight surfaced onto the museum counter, from across the room, along with the wobbling figure of the Thief. A little shocked, the police charged once again. And again. And it wasn’t long before the trip could piece it together. They rolled his eyes.

"I'll go this way." Shinichi was the first to speak, beginning to drift away from the group. "Oi Kudo, don't you think we should be going together because of..you know..."

"Rest assured Hattori; I'll be fine. And you'll have Hakuba as your trusty guide".

The Osakan's face immediately scrunched in pure displeasure; turning to scowl at the blonde man. "Heads up, if you fall into a trap, I'm ain't coming back to save your sorry ass. Hakuba mirrored the gesture. "Right back at you".

Shinichi willingly left the two to their own devices. The crowd was now backed up to the doors, with police officers chasing all around the main ballroom, the jewel in the case was gone. Not surprising at all. While the chaos seemed to settle down behind him, Shinichi kept his eyes in anticipation on each next spot the Thief may appear. The last one was unquestionably a dummy. Heartbreaking to see Nakamori-keibu hadn't learnt from his past mistakes. He felt himself unconsciously shift the watch on his wrist. He smiled, memories of the past floated in his mind, as he recalled one memory of falling off the roof and successfully faking out the Thief. Those were fun times. It was rewarding in Shinichi's point of view to see KID’s poker face break or see him falter. It was priceless.

He was brought out of his musings when he realized he was currently walking down the same corridor where the strange policemen had stopped. Shinichi stopped. It may have been the wind, but he was positive he could hear talking from the end of the passage. He listened intensively. There were two male voices.

Curiosity had always been Shinichi's weakness. He blamed that fault on his detective instincts. Wistfully, acting upon that curiosity is what resulted in his transformation as Conan.

Shinichi felt a chill near his ear and spun around. He still couldn’t see anything but didn’t make any moves to turn on his flashlight; he didn’t want to reveal his position when he was so close to finding out the sources.

Though, a shiver of a touch on his shoulder proved otherwise.

"What-" the boy was cut off when he felt a gloved hand fall onto lips. He was ready to sink his teeth into the skin when a heard a soft "Sshh" in his ear. Things only got worst when he heard the voices stop, and footsteps began to walk in their direction. "You just never seem to have any good luck on your side, right, my Meitantei?" the voice whispered in his ear once more. When Shinichi took the chance to glance, he found scarlet eyes looking down at him. Wait, wasn't KID's eyes azure? The appearance was almost menacing. The opposite aura effect the Thief customarily held.

Contact lens, Shinichi subsequently deduced.

"Did you hear that?" a male voice spoke, making Shinichi's blood turn cold. He froze. He knew that voice. "Check that corner", a reserved voice replied. Eyes widened, breaths ragged and harsh. Flashbacks of the amusement park filled his head. He heard it coming; the soft susurration of their footsteps, like a threatening whisper. The noise came from every direction, the sound that encapsulated him inside his cocoon of despair and hopelessness.

_No, no, no....not again._

"Shinichi?" KID's voice murmured, concern dripped in his voice. He watched as the detective had subconsciously grasped onto his black cape, squeezing the material tightly. The man's brain worked quickly to register the issue beneath him. Ah, now he understood. He reminisced that his Shinichi had a connection to the Black organization, thanks to his research. These members were probably the genesis of where the appearance of his little tantei-kun had begun.

Fearlessly entwining his fingers into Shinichi's, the thief's head tilted downwards. "Don't worry, my dear." The eyes darkened threateningly as the sound of a gun click made him glance up.

_"I won't let them have you"._

Next thing Shinichi felt was the soft cloth of something wet pressed against his nose. He kicked and twisted. But KID's hold was firm. The continuous words of "Everything will be fine" were whispered into his ears. Blackness began to fade into his vision. His body should have been immune to drugs due to the effects of the APTX 4869.

The liquid scent was sweet.

_Chloroform_.

Watching the body go limp in his arms, the Thief moved his attention to the newcomers, giving them a razor-sharp grin before straightening up.

"Don't you think it's a bit rude to show up my heist, uninvited? The thief chirped; shielding Shinichi with his black cloak.

The silver-haired man grinned murderously. "How traitorous of you to do that to your partner". The thief merely smiled.

"Wouldn't want to agitate him when he wakes up to sees your corpses".

"Oh. What makes you think we are the ones dying tonight?

The thief chuckled. "I have Lady luck on my side."

The man rolled his eyes. " Those better not be your final words".

"Ha, bold of you to assume that I'm going to be the one to die tonight" came the imitated words. "Must I remind you you're not the only with a weapon? As if to prove his point, the man's hand disappeared into his breast pocket for a heartbeat before whipping out a small circular device. The two men's expressions morphed into horror. Seeing the expression, KID's lips tugged into a feral grin as he stepped forward with confidence. The fearful object sat in KID's fingers like a little dull green pineapple. But this was no fruit; it was deadly if that pin got pulled.

"You're insane!" the man with the fedora hat yelled, backing away. The red contact lens glinted in the moonlight. "So, I've been told~.

"You know you made my job easier by coming here. I want to state how pleased I am to know I didn't have to waste my time tracking you down."

The gun held by the companion remained pointed towards his black top hat. Through the darkness, the thief could see the silver-haired man gritting his teeth in genuine indignation. The grin deepened. Someone seems to be on the verge of breaking point.

"Aw, don't worry my fellow criminals, I'll make sure you two die swiftly when I pull the pin" came the sneered answer.

"SHUT UP!" the man roared. "SOMEONE HAS TO DIE TONIGHT! AND IF IT'S NOT YOU THEN, IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR FELLOW FRIEND!!"

It was KID"s turn to snarl back with rage. Like hell, he was going to let them touch his detective.

Senses sharpened with adrenaline; the thief speedily ducked as a bullet whistled past from above. "Missed" he taunted.

What followed was next were inconstant firings of bullets, hurled in every single direction. From outside the passage, the police, public and the two detectives stood outside in awe. What the hell was going on?

Inaudible to them, KID"S boisterous laughter accompanied the crackling sounds. " My my, your firing tonight is very off, isn't it! "

A simple roar was his response.

When the thief heard the sound of footsteps from the opposite side of the hallway, he knew his time was up.

"Looks like our fun is up. Do say hi to your dead members for me".

Thus, without waiting for a response, the pin was pulled and thrown. An instant later, there was a blinding flash, like sheet-lightning, and a huge ball of varicoloured fire belched upward, leaving a series of smoke-rings to float more slowly after it. 

Back turned, the blazing fire that loomed behind the thief, flicked and burned, warming his back as he jumped out of the window, activating his glider. Glass shattered at the impact. Spinning around, the thief smiled, dipping his head to the crowd below.

_"Adieu! Ladies and Gentleman! Until next time."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised KID never stole the Jewel (lol)  
> Too fixated on his detective..


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi wakes up to luxury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up it for not updating, here is a super-long chapter for you guys!!  
> Wrote this during my Exams only to find out later Grammarly didn't save anything. At that point I was too frustrated and decided to focus on my exams. But now I am back! 
> 
> Very little editing has taken place since I had to rewrite everything, so. that's my warning

When Shinichi opened his tired eyes, azure eyes found themselves staring at a black ceiling; a fancy chandelier loomed above his resting figure. 

Hmmm, strange. 

Had he always had a chandelier in his bedroom? Brushing the thought aside, Shinichi rolled over, burrowing himself into the warm, soft, duvet of blackness...

Hang on a second. His sheets weren't black. Upon realizing this, Shinichi's body hoisted itself up into an upright position; every thought in mind was now crystal clear. Azure eyes took in every ray of light and the scenery around him, and without a doubt, he knew he was no longer in his Kudo estate. 

His head throbbed; not quite a headache, but a clear indication that he had being drugged. No surprise there. The events of last night were still a blur in his mind. Yet, all he could remember was KID's Heist, and he had attended it. 

Though the fact he couldn't even remember the rest of the night was frustrating. Shinichi had always been the to type see things through to the end. He lived for the thrill and the triumph of solving the cases and catching the culprits. Blame it on his detective's moral instincts. Unfortunately, at this current stage, his mind didn't want to cooperate in solving this predicament as the throbbing worsened. 

Seeing his clothes folded and sitting so neatly on the table, Shinichi gulped while he gazed down, curious. Yeah, he was wearing someone else's shirt; his eyes peeped down further. Plus their pants. 

Shinichi didn't know whether to be thankful or creeped out on concluding to that discovery. The only thing that gave him a measure of relief was he hadn't felt any pain in the places that shouldn't be touched, without consent. 

Focusing on his attention to the room, he found himself captivated when his eyes fell onto the glass window — the only thing separating him from the lively, breathing city. Woah, how high up was he? He could literally see the Tokyo tower from where he sat. 

It's triple-glazed and so bright that the vision is like a high definition screen. The city below looked so far away; appearing like he was in another world. Those ant-like people and all their problems could no longer reach him. Shinichi found himself being lured to the window, perhaps hoping to catch more than what meets the eye. 

It had already occurred to him he was currently resting in a Penthouse, a very luxurious one if he may add. 

Shinichi would have succeeded if it wasn't for the clinking of chains and the burning sensation of something cutting deeply into his skin. Something sharp and cold. 

Looking down, the detective let out a subdued cry when he saw handcuffs coiled around his pale wrists; the chain led him to the unused lamp which was embedded into the black wallpaper above the bedside table. The chains were wrapped tightly around the post. Probably to restrict my movements — Shinichi deuced with a sense of bitterness. 

Inhaling deeply, Shinichi concluded that he might as well experiment on how freely he can move around the room since he had no idea when the owner of this place planned on returning. 

He had to agree; the room was quite spacious. A noir, leather conch sat in the centre of the room, sprinkled liberally with vibrant red cushions. A glass table was situated in front. When he approached closer, it took Shinichi a second to realize there was a plate filled with food. The wonderful aromas of the breakfast and the coffee permeated the atmosphere. Shinichi's tongue readily slid out to lick his parched lips. 

Seeing no harm in devouring a meal that was clearly made for him, Shinichi plopped himself on the couch, feeling his ass sink into the textile. At the same time, his stomach growled; reminding him how he had skipped breakfast in favour of pursuing a particular thief. Out of embarrassment, Shinichi squirmed in his position in an attempt to silence the rumbling. It solely worked when he decided to stuff his mouth with a spoonful of scrambled eggs. Shinichi was halfway through his chewing when a dreadful thought jumped into his mind. Shit. Was if the food poisoned? He doesn't spit out the already chewed content from his mouth, but it was a very near thing.

Shinichi felt the rising urge to slap himself at his lack of consideration mentally. Because knowing his luck, (he never had any in the first place) the chances of encountering and consuming a plate of poisoned food was at this stage very high. The fork fell onto the plate with a clink as Shinichi leaned back into the couch, preparing himself for the effects of the poison to kick in. 

It was around a good ten minutes when Shinichi's mind began to fill up with doubts. Fingers twitched, his body felt fine so far. No signs of aching or blurry vision. Eventually, those doubts morphed into definite certainty. 

Returning to his previous action, albeit somewhat cautiously this time, Shinichi's eating manner was similar to that of a mouse nibbling on cheese. He was careful not to consume too much just in case the possibilities of being poisoned was still lingering around. The instant coffee liquid was gulped down in a heartbeat — the liquid crept over his taste-buds and down his throat. He gladly encircled his fingers around the paper cup, appreciating the heat that spread through his hands. Even if the liquid had come from an instant coffee packet, Shinichi was just happy to have a taste of caffeine on his lips. 

The man released a sigh of satisfaction; feeling pleased with the sight of a stainless plate and an empty mug, he rose; continuing his detour around the room. 

The bathroom itself was impressive; a sleek bathtub sat on one end of the room and was that a jacuzzi tub? Now, the shower stall itself was a tad ridiculous. It had a panel with more than a hundred options the user could choose from. That included regulating water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges. 

What was wrong with just enjoying an uncomplicated shower? 

The thought didn't last, Shinichi shrugged the idea off, exiting the room. The good news was at least he had access to taking care of his personal hygiene.

Satisfied with the layout of the room, Shinichi flopping back on to the bed, sprawling his limbs across the sheets and heaved a sigh. 

What the hell was he supposed to now? 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaito hummed in delight as he swiped his deluxe Platinum card on the payment terminal. Dipping his head to the cashier, Kaito exited the shop. He's got an arm full of a couple of mystery books and a brand new coffee machine box tucked under his other arm. He slinked through the crowded street, taking peeks at different items and smiling at buyers who in return, gesture him to admire their merchandise. Of course, he had to reject since he already had what he needed. 

Shinichi must be awake by now, Kaito queried to himself, staring the apartment complex he had now called home. Kaito had to admit he found it hard to tear himself away from the slumbering detective. The way he slept with a tickle of drool and soft snoring made Kaito's heart flutter to the point he was confident his heart would fly out of his chest. 

Pushing the glass door to the apartment complex, Kaito made a beeline to the elevator. The lift arrived with a ding. 

The inside of the lift had been painted with white marble, accompanied with a blue carpet, a silver handrail, and no buttons. When looking for a suitable place to hide his illicit transgressions, Kaito made sure to find a site which had top-notch security. This place fitted his expectations. 

Kaito pressed his hand against a small glass panel. A sensor read his fingerprints, verified them, and activated the elevator. The doors slid shut, and the elevator rose to Kaito's desired floor without stopping. 

Out of evident boredom, Kaito padded over to the elevator's mirror, eyeing himself. The blue-tie wrapped around his shirt's collar had signs of bloodstains belonging to one of his slain operatives. Oh, don't fret, it was for a good reason. 

You see, the man had been a double-agent from another organization, most likely sent to assassinate him.

So, of course, Kaito had no choice but to end the man's life on the spot. A swift blow to the neck was all it took. If Kaito had spared the man, all of his hard work towards his goal would have gone to waste. 

At the memory, Kaito unhurriedly loosened the tie and shoving it into his pocket. He couldn't allow his dear detective to see that. 

Stepping out, Kaito's twirled his door's keys around his finger as he walked in the direction of his residence. Arriving at his destination. He jabbed the key's tip into the door and twisted it.

Stepping into the familiar environment of his extravagant Penthouse, the man released all his built-up tension. He could finally unwind. 

The entrance to his connected lounge and kitchen was sure to leave an impression. It was a grand space. The considerable, mahogany kitchen took up most of the vast area. A double-seated black leather couch sat not so far away, situated in front of an elegant television. White, glossy marble iced over the kitchen counter where Kaito settled down his shopping. 

The coffee machine box was placed near the stove in an absented-minded manner since Kaito's mind was already occupied with the thoughts of his visitor. 

Sauntering over to his suite bedroom, Kaito pressed his ear vigorously against the door, silencing his breathing for a moment. When no noise reached him, Kaito knocked softly. 

"Shinichi?" the man called out with a touch of concern. Was the detective still asleep? After another fraught silence, Kaito decided to himself he had the reticence to enter; fingers rotated the knob, and he poked his head through the crack.

"Shinichi?" the man resounded once more. 

Kaito was embarrassed to admit; he had panicked at the sheer sight of seeing an empty room and jumped to the conclusion his Shinichi had found a way to escape miraculously. Thank goodness he had noticed cuff's chains, which led to the bathroom. 

Kaito followed the trail like a deprived child, seeking for his stolen candy. His feet grinded to a halt at the bathroom's glazed-glass door. Strangling his hearing, Kaito could recognize the sound of water pouring down the drain. 

Now, how should he approach this situation? 

\------------------------------------------------------

When Shinichi drew the glass door back, the detective was honestly surprised to discover Hakuba, crossed-legged on the couch with a book. 

Did that mean Hakuba was the one who kidnapped him? It didn't sound like something the other detective would do. 

The blonde looked up, offering a refined smile. The book closed with a single tap. 

Shinichi mirrored the smile, though he seated himself a considerable distance from the other. 

"Feeling more refreshed?" the blonde asked. At the question, Shinichi nodded, smiling softly. 

"Much better," he replied. Hakuba nodded as if he was showing his reserved approval at the answer. 

"May I ask what happened last night?"

Hakuba titled his head to the side, giving the detective a quizzed look. 

"Do you not remember?"

Shinichi shook his head, a delicate smile latched onto his lips. 

"Most parts of last night are still fuzzy in my mind". 

Before Hakuba could reply, a ringing vibration made the pair's heads swivel in the direction towards where Shinichi's clothes sat. 

"What's that sound?" Hakuba inquired eyes narrowed, watching Shinichi brush past him. 

"It must be the Ultra-thin cellphone that Professor made for me." Shinichi innocently admitted, unaware of what was about to follow. 

"He made it for me in case I got into a rare situation-" 

The boy was interrupted when he felt something heavy crashed into him. He gasped as the object in his possession had been powerfully yanked from his hand. In Shinichi's defence, he dived after it, clutching onto the device like his life depended on it. 

"What the hell Hakuba-san!" Shinichi exclaimed in incredulity when he was twirled across the room; crash-landing onto the bed with Hakuba following in suite. 

Azure eyes lifted to meet a tight frown. It had also befallen to Shinichi 's mind that Hakuba was currently straddling him, confining both his hands under his legs, ruining his opportunity to escape. 

"Shinichi! Are you there!" Professor agasa's voice broke the fraught silence. Shinichi would have responded if it wasn't for Hakuba's covering his mouth, he gave the man an ardent scowl. 

What came next made Shinichi's blood go cold. 

"I'm right here, Professor" Hakuba answered, wearing a smirk that didn't match the predatory eyes; Shinichi dreadfully apprehended this person wasn't Hakuba. 

Hakuba couldn't mimic voices. Especially not his. 

And to further increase his shock, Hakuba absolutely did not have a face almost identical to him nor dark brown hair. 

The flash of Indigo eyes was all Shinichi needed to back up his resolution. 

"You really had us concerned" Professor's concerned voice broke through the speakers. Shinichi wanted to cry in frustration. 

"Sorry for making you worry", the imposter cachinnated with the perfect pitch. Shinichi took the risk to nip at the KID's skin which didn't do much except resulting to KID give an amused smile. 

"Look, Professor, I really have to go.. You see a case just popped up". Shit, KID even had Shinichi's perfect excuse memorised.

"Wait, Shinichi-!"

The thief hung up without the hearing the rest of the sentence, discarding the device to the floor. 

And lastly, KID removed his hand, watching Shinichi splutter out with coughs, greedily sucking in the air he had been bereaved of. 

"Sorry about that, darling." Kid's apology came out as sweet as honey. Though Shinichi had to remind himself that, it was KID's expertise to manipulate and sugarcoat his words. 

Recollecting his composure, Shinichi turned to point an accused finger at the person in front of him. His eyes were radiating a glare that was freezing KID's bones. 

"You better have a good reason for kidnapping me" the detective growled. 

"Now, Now," KID leaned in to bop Shinichi's nose playfully. "You should know by now, my dear detective. My actions always have a reason". 

Shinichi let out a scoff. "Just like why you hold every jewel you steal to the moonlight."KID nodded with esteem. 

"So what's the reason this time?" 

"That." The criminal trailed off, placing a finger to his own lips. "is something for you to find out, my dear detective". 

"You have to give me a hint first."

"Oh, I can't do that. That would just ruin the fun". 

Shinichi bit his lip and narrowed his eyes in irritation before sighing. 

"I have forgotten how much of an asshole you are", Shinichi keened, rubbing his forehead. His criticism was met with a merry chuckle. 

"Let's make a deal then" KID abruptly proposed. 

Shinichi's eyebrows quirked up with interest, prompting KID to continue. 

"If you simply follow my rules for the next 10 days or more depending on the situation without trying to escape. I'll answer all your questions". 

That deal did sound promising. 

"Fine. But firstly take these off me too. " the detective added, hoisting the cuffs to emphasise his point. 

Indigo flicked from the cuffs to Shinichi's face back to cuffs. 

"Hmm, I'd rather not. I don't really enjoy having a ball, nor a kick thrown at my face, especially when said the angry, kidnap victim possesses the kicking strength of a professional football player. 

"Well, I can't help it. The purpose of the device is to stop pesky criminals. Besides, you took the gear off me; also I don't have the energy to tackle you at this very moment". 

'Doesn't matter". Kaito said, poking Shinichi in the forehead. "I'm not taking them off". 

Shinichi, at that point, was emitting a dark growl. 

"Ok, ok! Give a second. Let me find something! Just close your eyes".

Shinichi gazed at the man suspiciously before reluctantly closing his eyes. 

There was the sound of a drawer being opened, fabric rustling and ultimately the advancing footsteps. 

The handcuffs were taken off with a click, although the celebration didn't last when the detective felt something else sitting on his wrists. Warm and fluffy. 

Then came the command for him to open his eyes, azure eyes flew down to find black, fur handcuffs. The specific type you would find on those Adult  _ Sex Toy sites.  _ Don't get the wrong idea. Those creepy advertisements just happened to pop up during his internet surfing. 

"You got to be kidding me," Shinichi said, deadpan, his eyes wandered to the beaming culprit. 

"Wow, do you mind me saying you look unbelievably adorable?" 

"Yes, I do mind. Wait, where are you going!" 

The thief was making his way to the door.

"Oh, don't worry darling. I have no intention of abandoning you". 

"That's wasn't what I was asking to hear...." 

"Well, if you really want to know, I have to unpack the groceries, plus start preparing dinner". The man jerked his thumb to the table. 

"I left a couple of Holmes books for you; your favourite, to pass the time. I'll return soon. Don't miss me too much". The man chirped; winking before closing the door. 

Leaving an outraged detective in his wake. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi is not happy in his new predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Struggled with writer's block! Plus, I have being preparing for my final year exams so there may be a (huge) delay in updates so I apologise in advance. Next chapter will be longer!! Please, if you enjoyed reading this even the tiniest bit, do leave a kudos(if you want this story to continue) and it’s greatly appreciated if you drop a comment as well! (nice comments would be nice!)

After a few pasting days, Shinichi was becoming more accustomed to his new predicament, although the restricted authority issued by the house owner was putting him in a sour mood. He hated limitations, and KID knew that. The thief was clearly asking for a pissed off Shinichi. And to deepened his irritable mood even further, the thief had decided to take the liberty of following him around the Penthouse, wearing an amused smirk and those indigo eyes brimming with merit. If only his hands weren't cuffed, Shinichi would have taken great joy in punching the man in the face.

"Stop following me." Shinichi ultimately snapped, spinning around on his heels as he scowled intensely at the man in front of him. Said man titled his head to the side, returning an innocent smile. The urge to punch was growing stronger.

"Whatever do you mean, darling?", the man replied with a flutter of his eyelashes. Seeing the action made Shinichi cringed, yet he recovered; masking his discomfort with a scoff. He was no fool.

"Your lying skills have lost their touch, KID. You've been following me since 8 am this morning. Why?"

Shinichi was not astounded to hear the man chuckle.

"How could I possibly let my guard down when being in the presence of Japan's most prestigious detective? Besides, you must be mistaken."

OK...he'll take the compliment with a grain of salt but, Shinichi was confident with what he had been witnessing the past three days.

Lamentably, when it came to interrogating the other man, Shinichi's demands were often answered with unsatisfying responses. Those answers usually consisted of a sly smirk or a razor-sharp grin, or sometimes just a mere nod. Like he was supposed to know what that meant.

Needless to say, KID was observing him like a hawk 24/7 even when it was time to go to sleep.

Now, here's the interesting part that Shinichi had lately discovered.  
KID had been sneaking out of the Penthouse, at exactly Midnight. Not that Shinichi was prosecuting the thief of acting shady in his own home. But anyway he had enough evidence to prove it. At first, he believed the thief had left to do some late-night groceries shopping thought that assumption didn't last long when he noticed the lack of newly brought products. Well, he can cross that off the list.

Then came the mysterious phone call. Dismally, the conversation was regularly muffled since KID always took the phone call to the living room, away from prying ears. How smart of him, Shinichi bitterly thought to himself.

And lastly, the discovery of finding blood-stained ties and shirts lying or stuffed in the most outlandish places as if KID was trying to hide the garments from him was enough to confirm his suspicions.

Hm, this finding was subsequently sending adrenaline of excitement through Shinichi's veins. About time too.

Oh, how could he forget the mention of the strange ways the thief would look at him. Especially during breakfast, which by the way was cooked by the owner himself. The detective would often catch KID studying him, head on one side, chin in hand as if he were a specimen in a museum; which in turn Shinichi found humorous since it should have been him doing the examining.

Of course, then came the exceptional compliments about his appearance (not surprising since he had been told in person he was incredibly handsome) thought it felt strange hearing it from a former rival, especially when said rival was the most wanted criminal. But hey, this was KID. When did anything from the man's lips make sense?

But when KID would speak, there was a hint of sadness or longing in his eyes. What on earth could you be yearning for, KID?

Then one morning, the day began with a serious conversation.

"Hey Shinichi", KID began. Shinichi's lips morphed into a frown. It was rare to hear his name on the man's lips instead of a nickname. Must be important.

"What is it, KID?" Shinichi chose to reply in a monotone, pushing away the now empty pile of what had been filled with a ham and cheese omelette. The man's eyebrows furrowed.

"Call me Kaito", came the unexpectedly reply, making Shinichi let out a rash cough.

"P-Please don't tell me that's your real name..."

A single eyebrow rose up. "Is there something wrong with my name?"

Shinichi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"It's just anti-climax...bearing the same name as your alter-ego...."

Upon hearing the reason, Kaito slithered a flat smirk through his lips.

"Sorry to have disappointed you, detective. Regrettably that name you keep saying, I no longer hold any affection for.

After all, that notorious name had ended up getting his father killed. And now, Jii-chan.

Not that his detective would ever know that.

"I thought you enjoyed bathing in the spotlight of attention," Shinichi said, with a look of bewilderment as he sipped down the last drop of his coffee. Kaito found himself watching the pink tongue slip out to savour the taste. How long must he wait until he could claim those beautiful lips?

"I did, but now I prefer sticking to the darknesses." Kaito's mind snapped back to reality.

"Heh. Like a real phantom, only this time you're missing the exaggerated white outfit." Kaito laughed softly at those words, he wanted to make a snippy remark at his detective but realised he was getting sidetracked again

Heaving a cough, Kaito straightened up, allowing his poker face slip through.

"Anyway, back to business. Unfortunately, I have been requested to attend a rather requisite event that I sorrowfully cannot reschedule, which means.."

Kaito trailed off, permitting the detective to register the true meaning of his words. Shinichi's mouth morphed into an 'o' shape before narrowing his eyes.

"So...you're saying that I'll be confined in this apartment all by myself until you return?"

"Ping pong! said the man in a singsong tone that juxtaposed the serious expression on his face.

Kaito was somewhat surprised to hear the other utter out a groan. "Oh? Sounds like you going to miss me, darling." he ridiculed lightly resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

Shinichi scoffed loudly, crossing his arms as he answered with a harsh "Like hell I'm going to miss you." though halfway, the detective must have realised the crudity of his reply as he covered his mouth while Kaito turned his head to the side.

Ouch. That kind of hurt. Expected though.

"Well then," Kaito sharply rose up, shifting his gaze away from the detective. Shinichi followed.  
"Wait KID-I mean K-Kaito".

"I have to change my attire", was all the other man could muster, stalking over towards bedroom where he opened the room's door more brutally than he wanted, but Kaito couldn't find the energy to care. The door bounced off the wall; swiftly closing behind him with a click.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Kaito couldn't find the heart to hum to himself as he pulled on his black jacket and adjusted his black gloves. His new outfit consisted of a blue button up shirt, black coat, black pants, black dress shoes, and lastly the monocle. Yes, black was his new colour. And lets hope he didn't have to wash out blood-stains. Now, to the situation at hand.....

He should have known Shinichi wouldn't return his feelings in a heartbeat, since he had kidnapped him. There went his brownie points to impress.

The detective hadn't even realised he, Kaito had been flirting with him since day one. It looked like the rumours of the man being dense to any romantic advances were sadly true. Maybe he should have gone out and kissed the life out of the man. Nah, that would have earned him no doubt a punch to the face or....worst, his genitals. Kaito shivered at the thought.

However, much to his surprise when he opened the door, Shinichi was standing there, wearing an expression of guilt. The man's hand was rubbing the back of his neck. Kaito leaned against the door frame, staring back with an expected look. Maybe his eyes had deceived him, but he could have sworn he saw the other's blue eyes move up and down for a second. Oh, how interesting.

"I'm sorry for my rude behaviour, Kaito," Shinichi said in a soft tone, watching the thief's reaction. From Kaito's side, hearing Shinichi say his name with the perfect intonation was making him forget all about his sulkiness towards the man.

"No harm done, darling." Kaito immediately switched to flirting mode, sending a wink which made the detective roll his eyes once more. He was worried over nothing.

"What time will you be back?"

Kaito made a considerable sound before smirking, "I'll be back before the essence of life fades away from the city's eyes". Kaito dipped forward, startling Shinichi when the back of his hand was grabbed and kissed. That's when Kaito sees it. Shinichi's cheeks are suddenly kissed pink like a rose, the blooming colour so cute against his pale skin. Shinichi looked away, finding a distraction in the sky. Kaito stepped back, allowing the other time to compose himself, while he fought back a smile that wanted to break out.

He was the cause of that reaction. He wanted Shinichi to remember that. So while his Shinichi's gaze is averted, Kaito doesn't drop his eyes for a moment.

Maybe, just maybe, he could truly make his detective reciprocate his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE YOU SOON


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The author's return note

Hello dear readers,

Kuroba here. On behalf of the author, I am writing to say she would like to sincerely apologise for the lengthy hiatus she had to unfortunately take. And she is sorry for leaving the last chapter on such a bland note. But honestly darling, three months for a hiatus isn't much really. But hey, I'm just a fictional character so my opinion really doesn't count, does it?.

Anyway, if you have taken a second of your precious time to read this note, I send my regards to you. And as much as I would like to send you all a rose, I don't think they would last long during the shipment process. It would be very ungentlemanly to send a wilted flower. And hang gliding to you all would be too exhausting. Plus, I have to keep my eyes on my detective who I'm certain is trying to escape (again) by lock picking my Penthouse's door, as I write this. I hate to say I can't underestimate him as he is after all one my favourite critics. Always surprising me. 

And if you didn't read this note at all...

Well, I shall be putting you on my blacklist. 

No hard feelings **Sweetheart**. 

Yours sincerely,

_**Kuroba Kaito** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the title from 'Sweet but psycho' to Amour fou (meaning insane love or obsessional love)   
> Sounds fancier ahaha


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slow, developing relationship is sailing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guys!! I'm back!  
> Thank you so much for waiting!! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Kudo and comments are greatly appreciated!

With a key in his hand, Kaito was ready to depart and sorrowfully deliver his detective a morningtide parting when he paused and turned to look at Shinichi for a moment. "I forgot to mention, but, there is one rule that you may or may not be aware of. I'd like you to understand this rule before you try to break it."

"Oh?" Shinichi replied, his left eyebrow rose. He couldn't see any reason why he couldn't have been told of this rule before.

"The rule is as followed: You must remain entirely within the boundaries of the Penthouse". Shinichi was so close to rolling his eyes. Thanks for stating the obvious. How could he not ignore the secured padlocks on the windows and the doors that were screaming thief had no intention of letting him escape.

"You know that won't be an issue since you will be locking the door on your way out. Plus, if I were to find an escape route," Shinichi made sure to emphasis that part. "You don't really think I would yield to utter desperation and throw myself out of one your windows".

Kaito shrugged, inserting the key into the keyhole and twisted it.

"What can I say? You threw yourself off the rooftop when you were Conan."

"Ah, no. Let me correct you there. I slipped thanks to your lousy aim." Shinichi retorted defensively, and the way the detective's glare intensified was making Kaito feel weak at the knees. Stepping forward until their noses were touching, Kaito's lips curled up into an astute smile as his hand arose and benevolently patted Shinichi's cheek in a mere sentimental manner.

_"You do know I had no actual intention of hurting you?"_

Kaito truly wished he didn't have to leave and spend half of his day torturing inadequate ex-black organization members. Oh, Shinichi's eyes were stunning. Just like in his dreams. The only thing missing were tears.

_Yes, a boy can dream, for now._

Oh, just imagine how pretty Shinichi would be under him, those cerulean eyes filled with tears because of the pleasure he would feel. Oh, how beautiful he would be looking like an erotic portrait, his neck filled with painted marks from Kaito's mouth or better still, his hands. Showing the whole world who he belonged to.  
The vision was making him, almost, forget about finding the surviving Black organization members, especially Snake. And, the jewel, Pandora, although his faith in such a tale was beginning to decrease.

"Hey, you there? Kaito? Oi, you're going to be late for your train", Shinichi waved his hand in front of the other's face as his call drew Kaito's lewd mind out of its fantasy.

The train? Oh, the train!

Wearing his trademark grin, Kaito bowed as he took the risk in swooping in and placing a peck on Shinichi's right cheek. This earned the criminal a swat which he swiftly avoided — that wasn't the reaction he wanted. But on second thought, Kaito nearly purred at the display of a flushing detective.

"Wow, you got really turned on quite quickly, Shinichi-"

"I am not turned on," Shinichi bit back with a quiet growl.

"Hm, if you say so. See you tonight," the man chuckled, winking and concluding the moment by closing the door.

**That bittersweet conversation took place 6 hours ago.**

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

In the present, Shinichi was wearing the most tedious, and world-weary expression as he lazily slumped deep into the black leather sofa. Every muscle in him was aching from boredom, no doubt even his heart was beating slowly. He had set his eyes dead ahead onto the far-away silhouette of Tokyo Tower, mesmerized by the way the fading light cast shadows onto the tower. The sun was beginning to die down. He sighed. He hopefully had another hour to endure before the return of the criminal.

Ultimately losing interest at the attraction, the man adjusted his gaze. An empty mug earlier brimming with black coffee liquid from the recently purchased Coffee machine sat lonesomely on the glass table. Azure eyes turned to stare at the object with long-lost care. He couldn't even find the energy to get up and make another cup. On Shinichi's lap sat one of the mystery books that the thief had obtained for him thought it sadly wasn't The Sign of Four.

Mind you; his doppelgänger didn't really leave anything fascinating behind for him to past the time. Besides the book, Shinichi was neglected to amuse himself, which was no problem at all in the beginning as he spent most of the morning, performing various endeavours of trying to eliminate the handcuffs. His efforts didn't go to waste as he did succeed in removing them. The choice of method was probably not the best strategy to go with, but at least his wrists were now free.

**What next?**

After a concise pondering, Shinichi had resolved to spontaneously act on a simple deed of kindness by searching for cleaning supplies and then commencing to clean the apartment from top to bottom. Of course, he would have to remind himself to give the man a reason for doing such a deed. It wouldn't be right if Kaito got the idea that Shinichi indeed found his Penthouse all cosy and all because the last thing he needed was Kaito to think Shinichi actually had a single emotion of care for him. And, his stupid, sumptuous Penthouse.

The Kitchen counter was polished down until no stains could be seen. Dishes were stacked neatly into the dishwasher. Shinichi even decided out of kindness to toss all those blood-stain shirts and ties into the dryer just for the sake of it ( he was still planning on getting a revelation about the stains).

Amidst doing his spring-cleaning, Shinichi kept an observing eye on anything that could possibly scream, 'Escape route'. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Shinichi was ready to drag himself back to the couch when he noticed something white sitting on the coffee table right next to his vacated mug. The detective frowned; drawing closer. Once getting a precise glance, Shinichi confirmed that thing of interest was a table decoration of a stunning, white dove. Almost like the ones that KID used to carry there before. With a plop, Shinichi flopped back onto the couch, studying the item with his piercing gaze for a brief minute before losing interest and kicked his feet back up onto couch's armrest. His head submerged into the velvet pillow-like quicksand as Shinichi's eyelids began to droop into a temporary slumber.

It was around Midnight when Shinichi's mind began to spring back into life. The rest of the room was engulfed with pitch-blackness, with the only light source being the ornamented moon. Hearing only the noise of his breathing, Shinichi took a noteworthy assumption that the thief hadn't returned. However, if on cue, the sound clinging of keys and a lock being turned from outside was heard; Shinichi jostled himself up from his position and kicked his feet off onto the carpet. There was a soft thud. A click indicated the door had closed.

"Kaito?", the detective called out, still finding the other's name foreign on his tongue. Squinting his eyes, Shinichi tried his best to make out for any signs of movement. Where were the damn light switches? It was too dark for his taste. Shinichi stayed around his space for another minute, anticipating the owner to advertise his return. But it never happened. Only the uncanny quietness immersed him. At this point, Shinichi automatically started to panic. A little. A twist of his gut sent him wandering over without hesitation.

Shinichi was halfway to the door when his feet met something hard; the detective with a lack of grace toppled. A groan left the befallen man. Shinichi uprightly was prepared to send a death stare packed with irritation to whatever object had caused his downfall. Though, he was expeditious to withdraw his forming exasperation upon the view of seeing the stains of red.

Either the moonlight had miraculously gotten brighter, or Shinichi had magically obtained night vision. Nevertheless, the detective wasn't anticipating to see Kaito, lying face down. In his own pool of blood, which was frighteningly increasing. Now, Shinichi had three seconds to decide what to do. He contemplated the pros and cons. The unfavourable revelation was Shinichi's mind could only muster up all the drawbacks.

**Cons:**   
_He still couldn't find his phone thanked to Kaito._   
_He lacked information about his whereabouts._   
_Calling an ambulance could unquestionably attract undesired attention. And that's the last thing he needed._

In conclusion, this meant Shinichi was going solo.

The detective wasted no time in hurrying over to the wounded man's side. Shinichi squatted, his fingers moving up and down Kaito's neck, searching his pulse. Relief washed over him when he heard Kaito's raspy but steady breathing and a feeble pulse. Shinichi checked for the source of blood. It was an arduous task due to the lack of lighting.

The detective's ears perked up immediately at the noise of a grunt, not aware he had scooted closer.

"Kaito? Can you hear me?"

Another soft grunt acknowledged him. A good sign so far.

"Kaito, can you tell me how to turn on the lights. I can't seem to find the light swit—"

_Snap. Snap._

_Went Kaito's fingers._

The Penthouse's lights flickered on, illuminating the room and giving Shinichi a more accurate layout of Kaito's blood-stained shirt and pants.  
Shinichi wanted to let out an irked remark especially since he had spent the time to mop the floors, though against his better judgements the detective apprehended it wasn't the time to express his feelings.

But seriously, a sensor lighting control system?

Ok, no time to ponder over that. He needed to focus. What he lacked now was a first-aid kit.

Surely, the criminal had one stored away somewhere. Alas, Shinichi was saved from having to jump onto his feet to hunt for the medical box since Shinichi's unspoken request was fulfilled and delivered to him by a bird. A dove to be exact. Two doves. Like the ones that had been sitting on the table earlier. The detective didn't know how long the doves had been squatting there, perched above him on the counter. It cooed softly, breaking his mind away from Kaito's wound. Shinichi blinked away and stared at the other dove which he didn't notice as the bird unceremoniously sent the white box painted with a red cross down into Shinichi's laps. The detective blinked again.

"Thanks...".

The two doves cooed.

Shinichi sighed. The word 'normality' had no existence in this man's world.

Inhaling deeply, Shinichi gently hoisted Kaito to his feet, wrapped an arm around the man's neck and dragged him to the couch in the living room.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took Shinichi about an hour to patch and stitch Kaito up. The blood had seeped from the right side of Kid's waist. Shinichi deduced that a knife had caused the injury. Hopefully, the man could elaborate further on this matter. During the process, Shinichi had a troublesome experience trying to stop the man from moving about. The good news was that Kaito was looking more alive and vigorous now. The unfortunate bit was the man's stubbornness. The stubbornness had kicked in promptly after the man had regained his senses.

An example of this perversity was Kaito's unwillingness to admit the fact he had been gravely wounded.

"It's only a scratch!".

"A scatch wouldn't have the capability to seep out a puddle of your own blood onto the Kitchen's floor."

Kaito's face fell for a second, making Shinichi concerned about the loss of colour in the male's face. "I'm fine, really," Kaito reiterated his statement like a broken recorder. To emphasize, Kaito rose unsteadily to his feet. Of course, the pain across the man's face juxtaposed the previous response. Unfortunately, this time Kaito didn't have Lady luck on his side as Shinichi wasn't taking any chances.

"Sit back down, you idiot", the detective massaged his template before grabbing Kaito's shoulders and pushing him back onto the couch.

"Stay there," Shinichi dictated, ignoring Kaito's pout as he swivelled on his heels; marching to the kitchen, making only two steps before Kaito called out to him.

"Where are you going?"

Shinichi walked a few more steps until he was standing next to a bucket and mop. He glanced in Kaito's direction.

"I'm not going anywhere, now that I have the unpleasant task of mopping up your blood-stained kitchen floor, which had just mopped this morning.

Kaito couldn't help but laugh rigidly at the answer. Moisturing his lips, Kaito flashed a half-hearted effort smile.

"No need to push yourself to do such a tedious task, detective. You've done so much for me already. Let me-".

"Absolutely not".

Kaito gulped. "Don't you think you answered a bit too quickly there, detective?"

The scowl was a good enough answer to signal Kaito to shut up.

Soon, the repetitive actions of the mop and water droplets splashing onto the floorboard were the only sound to kill the tautness. And what felt like hours later, Kaito couldn't be happier when Shinichi began to pack up.

"Come sit", Kaito eventually announced, patting to the empty spot next to him. Kaito genuinely was expecting the detective to respond with a snarky remark or even another of his efficacious glares. (Kaito didn't mind either since it just made the detective look further irresistible.)

Alas, Shinichi surprisingly came to sit next to him. Kaito blinked. The two robotically shuffled back onto the couch. Shinichi's arms settled on his laps while Kaito's hand became a perch for his two doves.

Shinichi really wanted to ask about what had happened to the man, yet he didn't know how to phrase it. On second thought, maybe he should leave the questioning to another day when the man was in a more stable condition as Kaito had lost colour in his face again.

"I see you managed to break free from the cuffs", Kaito found himself saying, finding his eyes moving down to stare down at the other's wrists. Visible bruises were noticeable. Shinichi vigilantly followed, covering the marks with the shirt's sleeves.

"Yeah.." came Shinichi's dubious reply. God, the awkwardness was killing him. Conversation prompting wasn't his fortes unless it evolved Holmes or judicial enforcement discussion.

Quite a pity, he couldn't share either of those topics with the person next to him. Leaning his head backwards slightly, Shinichi caught a glimpse of the time.

He had found his perfect escape route.

"Wow! Won't you look at the time! 2:00 am?" the detective gave a sideways glance. "Haha, I think it's time to sleep," Shinichi continued, acting out a yawn and a stretch, missing the way Kaito's eyes softened.

"You can take the bed".

Shinichi's eyes widened slightly.

"Are you sure?"

Kaito nodded, flashing a smile.

"You deserve it", came the faint answer.

Placing a hand on Kaito's shoulder, Shinichi managed to utter a faint "Thanks.." before averting his gaze. On the other hand, Kaito's pupils dilated somewhat at the sudden warmth. It took him a length moment for his maddening heart to slow down until it regained a normal rhythm. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Shinichi leaning closer-probably out of concern rather than anything out.

Kaito made sure to reassure the detective with another of his flirtatious smile as Shinichi accepted the action; and rose from the couch. Leaving behind the lingering warmth of his presence.

"Call me if you need anything," Shinichi asserted, glancing over his shoulder.

Kaito would no doubt jump right onto the offer. Yet, wouldn't that make him a selfish person?

Recomposing himself, Kaito knew he had to rebuild his tarnished image that the detective so far had of him.

"Sure thing, darling. Goodnight. Sleep well."

"Goodnight Kaito".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is already in progress!!  
> Cannot promise when I will publish it but defiantly soon !  
> Thank you for reading!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback chapter prior to kidnapping Shinichi. Think of this chapter as part 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt the need to write a chapter of Kaito being a creep/stalker (I still love you though) and breaking into our detective's house. Sorry for the long delayyy! Thank you for sticking with me! Mind you, this has being sitting in my drafts for 5 months so I'm sorry if some things don't make sense as I possibly had an idea for that section, but forgot it. I hope you enjoy!  
> I haven't edited this either cuz I'm just so tired.

Shinichi was not an early morning riser. A fact, Kaito had inadvertently stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago when he thought it would be a brilliant idea to sneak into the detective's house prior to the heist. Slinking into the residence of Japan's most prestigious detective would probably make any criminal or even his assistants question his sanity. If he had any, to begin with. 

Kaito had arrived on scene at around Midnight. His eyes studied the streets for anything out of the unusual. The last thing he needed tonight was to find some depraved, drunks lurking in the shadows, endeavouring with the same purpose, with more dire intentions. The thought of someone else besides him, playing out their raunchy desires on his detective, left a sour taste in Kaito's mouth. That's why he was here to ensure those intentions never happen. 

Shinichi was reserved for him. And he wanted to keep it that way. 

Kaito gave a cautious glance to the next-door building where he recalled that was where the older man known as Professor Agasa resided as well as that evil-looking strawberry haired girl who wandered about wearing her pristine, lab coat. Did her expression ever change? 

Kaito took a double-glance at next-door again. Hm, it looked like no one was there as no lights were seen or presumably the pair were asleep. Kaito expected that was the predicament.

It was a different status at the Kudo's manor. 

A single lit room on the top floor of the manor advertised Shinichi's position to the single visitant. Shining the torchlight onto the blueprint in his hand, Kaito grinned, realising where his detective was residing. The Kudo's family library. 

Digging into his jacket's pocket for his iPhone, he unlocked the device and scrolled through a forum until he found what he was looking for. According to this online fan, his detective's sleep schedule often varied depending on the cases, ranging from 12 am to 4 am. Another admonition offered by the user was about a sighting regarding a man wearing glasses and pink hair going in and out of the house, scaring off the intruders. Kaito quivered. Could the user be talking about the very man who had threatened him about returning the photos and then proceeded to trap him in the bathroom with the small detective? 

That man was no doubt dangerous, so best to avoid him at all cost, especially if Kaito wanted to see another daybreak. 

A light, brisk breeze stroked Kaito's cheeks. The man exhaled out a "brr". 

The library's light was still on. Kaito could only pray tonight his detective decided to hit the sacks early. Since Japan was in winter, the nights were chilly and bitter. Kaito was dressed in a light black puffer jacket; black gloves protected his hands. The icy breezes were already tackling his skin. 

Alas, either Lady Luck still adored him or out of pure luck, the light on the top floor faded out. Kaito felt his heart race. It was time to set his plan into motion. Being the master of subtlety, Kaito came prepared. Tiptoeing to the walls of the manor, Kaito kneeled; settling his duffer bag down and rummaged through it. A concerned frown laced his lips. He was sure he had packed the item in the bag before he left his residence. Concern was replaced with relief when the man's fingers came in contact with something metal. 

_ Aha, there you are.  _

The item of interest was hauled out into the open, a grappling hook — a criminal's best friend for these types of circumstances. 

The hook made a slight whistle as got spun around in the man's hand before Kaito lunged forward, loosening his grip as the hook flew across the walls. A soft clack was all Kaito needed to know that the hook had landed successfully. Out of prudence, Kaito tugged at the rope firmly. Yep, secure. 

Climbing up the walls was an effortless task for Kaito. Once over, Kaito landed onto the ground in the similar stance of a cat. A grin of triumph graced his lips. Step 1 accomplished. 

The next segment was seeking to find a way into the manor. He took out the phone again. According to another user, the account goes that his detective was notified of the attempted break-ins and the next day was sighted leaving a store carrying a bag which fans guessed were break-in proof locks and other gadgets. 

_ Looked like the salmon haired guy didn't do an excellent job on house protection. _

Heh, those pesky, neophyte stalkers would surely be too scared to set foot through the gates now. Which meant, Kaito had the whole stage to himself. 

Insignificant gadgets did not affect him nor scare him. In fact, he was getting an adrenaline rush. Stay focused, you idiot; the man scolded himself. He was treading in dangerous territory. He needed to be on guard at all time. 

Hunched over, Kaito crept closer towards the manor. So far, every window was secure. After exploring the premise for a way in, Kaito's heart was ready to sink in frustration when he paused at the steps of the entrance. He squinted. Maybe the cold was getting to him, but from where he was standing, he was confident the front door was slightly ajar. He shone the torchlight towards the opening. His suspicions were confirmed. How did he miss seeing it? Never mind that, why was the door even open? Did the detective not realise he was practically beckoning any intruder to enter, vile intentions or not. Panic swept through Kaito's mind as he moved up the entrance stairs. 

What if someone had already entered? No, not possible, his mind denied vehemently. In the past hour, he hadn't sensed anyone else come through the area. Gulping down his worries, Kaito took the risk to enter. 

Once inside, Kaito made the fatal mistake of closing the door behind him. There went the awful familiar sounds of locks been bolted into place — just his fucking luck. The man jiggled the knob once or twice before stepping back. He was trapped. 

** Shit. **

Alarm bells rang through Kaito's mind. Stay calm, stay calm, the man intoned. Maybe he could unhitch one of the windows' locks from inside. However, that was not possible, Kaito soon discovered. Oh, how he wished he had brought his pick locking kit with him. But all he had with him was a grappling rope, a camera (you know the reason), and a few other necessities that were no use for escaping. 

He may as well take the opportunity to investigate the manor and pray he finds an escape route on the way. 

The Kudo's estate was surprisingly dark. And big. Kaito made his way through the numerous chambers, admiring the handiworks and furnishings. It did occur to Kaito that most of the rooms he entered were, vacant. There was no sign of the scary salmon-haired man. Thank goodness. Feeling satisfied with the lower level and a jacket full of items. 

It was time to check out the upstairs area. Kaito felt his heart get caught in his throat when the stairs creaked slightly at the sudden weight. He waited for a few minutes, dreading the moment of hearing the fast-paced of feet belonging to the detective. But it never came. As quiet as a mouse, Kaito approached the top of the landing return. Peeking around the corner, the man was welcomed with the sight of a pretty lengthy corridor. God, this house was like a labyrinth. No end in sight. Using the wall as guidance, Kaito continued on his tour, not letting the eerieness unsettle him. 

You could say his efforts were rewarded as man halted at the doorway. There was no need to look at the map as he knew what room he was standing in. Kaito advanced.

Pass the rows of shelves, crowded to the brim with literature. Pass the scattered documents on the table and pass a briefcase negligently left ajar. 

The footsteps came to a pause as Kaito's eyes lowered onto the sleeping man's face slouched in the chair. Kaito's heart almost stopped in his chest. Even when sleeping, the man was still a beauty. 

However, Kaito wasn't charmed by the awkward position the man had placed his neck in. Just looking at it was making his own neck tingle with discomfort. 

Snatching a cushion from the other chair, Kaito lifted the man's head with tender care. The deed was also bestowed on the abandoned book, which was now resting on the side table. 

Feeling satisfied with his concise efforts, Kaito stepped back slowly. He stood there for a good 5 minutes, finding it hard to tear himself from Shinichi's side. Yet, he knew he had to. 

He couldn't get arrested. Not now. 

So with a heavy heart, the man slipped back into the shadows. His presence withering away like the blackness itself as the first breath of dawn broke through the sky. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

It was around late morning when the detective eventually woke up. Kaito had lost count on how many times he needed to heat up the scrambled eggs just for the sake of keeping them warm and fresh. When the detective arrived on the scene, it was apparent the man was only half-awake. Shinichi could have easily pulled off being a walking zombie, dead on the inside but subconsciously awake. Another sign was how all his shirt-buttons had been done up in the wrong holes. 

Alas, Kaito's amusement increased as the detective made a beeline to the coffee mug. The black liquid was guzzled down in a heartbeat. Instantly, Shinichi looked more attentive. 

Whipping out his notebook, Kaito jotted down:  _ coffee is the cure for getting rid of the detective's drowsiness.  _

The man would most likely be startled at the discovery of finding freshly cooked scrambled eggs. Well, Katio didn't have to envision the scenario, since he was present at the scene. 

The thief had spent the whole night hacking away at the security locks, gaining nothing but blistered hands. Kaito would like to say that this experience was a one-time slip-up. He usually wasn't this careless. But when it came to a certain detective. Well, did he have to say anymore? 

The lounge room was quite an exposed area with limited hiding space. Right now, Kaito was crouching near the staircase, attempting to calm his breathing. Hopefully, luck was on his side. 

Indeed it was. 

Shinichi must have, at some point, released the locks on the windows as a soft breeze danced into the room. The taste of freedom was only a few runs away. How was he going to get there?

Kaito was saved once again by the sound of beeping from Shinichi's phone, vibrating on the table. The detective leaned over; unlocking it. 

A soft 'Oh shit, I'm late" was uttered as detective glanced at the oven's clock. The clanking of dishes landing into the sink with such force made Kaito winced. Shinichi's abrupt footsteps racing up the staircase was a delight to Kaito's ears. In the same time frame, the thief sped across the room, towards the ajar window and flung himself out. Kaito toppled and dropped painfully into the bushes. Filled with thorns. 

Fighting through the pain, Kaito seized his bag and bolted down the path to the gate. Once a safe distance away from the manor, Kaito was still panting as he leaned against the wall. His hand nimbly disappeared into the bag, retrieving the camera; switching it on. 

God, the images were perfect. 

Kaito traced his finger across the digital photo, hovering slightly over those rosy lips. A lustful smile laced his lips. He couldn't wait to add these beauties to his expanding wall collection. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news the next chapter is already at 1000 words, so it should be ready to publish in next couple of weeks. BUT, I can't make any promises! Thank you for reading! See you!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi getting annoyed by Kaito's living style.  
> Don't hate on Kaito's doves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya yea!! Feeling a bit proud with this chapter! Another chap that was sitting in my draft. So I'm sorry if some things don't make sense again in this chapter as I had another dozen scenarios. Btw the next chapter will sort of/might not linked to the plot line as it's gonna be on Shinichi's bday!! YA know when I'll be posting!! 
> 
> The last part is a bit messy  
> and I do promise u we will get to the dark themes very soon. I hope you enjoy!  
> I haven't edited this either btw kekeke

Starting the day off by resting on the sofa; sipping on the freshly brewed coffee, Shinichi could declare to no one but himself that he was not an avid fan of Kaito's doves. Sure, those birds may have saved him some time by finding the first aid kit. 

Besides that, the doves were nothing but a pain in the neck. Shinichi couldn't fathom why Kaito loved them so much. 

What was there to like?

To highlight his distaste towards the feathery subjects, it would be proper to rewind to the early morning. 

** 7 am **

It's was an amicable morning. Well, it would have been if the owner didn't have to snore so loudly. Lifting himself and sending a scowl in Kaito's direction, Shinichi was trying to control all his willpower not to smack the dozing sleeper. 

And yes, they were sharing a bed, only because during the night Kaito kept rolling off the couch causing Shinichi to worry slightly about the injuries reopening. Thus, Shinichi had to carry half-asleep man to the guest room before nonchalantly tossing him onto the bed. To heighten the experience, Kaito unknowingly began hoarding up the bed space- 

Wait, he was getting off-topic.

As much as Shinichi wanted to complain about why Kaito would make such an inadequate roommate.

He was here to talk about the doves. 

Feeling his brain drifting to sleep, and thankfully blocking out the snores, Shinichi was ready to succumb. If only it weren't for the foreign sensation of something heavy. 

When Shinichi's mind began to spring back into life, the first thought to enter his brain was why was the room so dark. Dark enough to the point that he couldn't even see the ceiling. 

The sunlight should be peering in by now. 

That's when it happened. The pain on his forehead felt like an insect bite at first; a sharp pinch that went away as quickly as it happened though it did make him wonder if someone had left the window open. Shinichi was no stranger to the varying types of migraines. But Shinichi had probably never gotten one that came in three swift steps, Three sharp pinches, a cooing sound and then another three. 

The man winced, attempting to evade the unforeseen advances. It eventually occurred to the detective that for some bizarre reason, his eyelids wouldn't open. Wait, it wasn't just the eyelids, he couldn't quite breathe properly either. At the sound of the bedsheets rusting Shinichi tried to sit up, but he was instead met with wind battling both sides of his cheeks.

Eventually, there was a breathy gasp followed by a loud exclaim. 

_ "Tamago! What are you doing to my poor Shinichi!" _

Kaito's startled cry crackled through the air. There it was the again., that word ' **_ my _ ** ' coming out of that man's mouth. At the sound of the owner's voice, the bird now known as Tamago fluttered its white wings over Shinichi's face, bidding farewell by pecking the detective's forehead three times again, earning itself a curse and swat before the man flung himself out of bed. And from where Kaito was sitting, the sound his ears received wasn't pleasant.

On the other hand, the accused which was Kaito's dove found Shinichi's fall of grace entertaining as it let out a soft coo from its perch on the headboard. Shinichi begged it differ. The detective let out an audible groan. Was it possible to charge a bird for an attempt of murder?

Probably not. 

To Shinichi's bitter frustration, the doves' assault didn't stop there. 

The birds had the audacity to watch Shinichi from their self-made perch, while he was showering. Shinichi frowned. This was an invasion of privacy. How did they even get into the bathroom? 

The sharp, beady gazes of the birds was enough for Shinichi to demand their owner to come and seize all the feathery pests from his sight.

Despite his efforts, the doves had left a parting gift for the detective when he approached the sink. 

The man sighed. A fool would think those white blobs on the sink's rim were remains of toothpaste; Shinichi knew better.

No matter what he did, he couldn't escape the doves' presence.

\--- ** PRESENT ** \----------

"I found some band-aids", Kaito proclaimed undeviatingly, drawing Shinichi out of his inner monologue. The detective blinked, the man had the bothersome habit of appearing out of thin air unannounced. 

It always kept scaring the shit out of Shinichi. 

It took Shinichi a mere second to come in eye contact with the white thing tucked comfortably under the man's arms. The dove winked; cooing softly. Shinichi was not taking any chances.

"Firstly, put away that bird", Shinichi dictated. 

Kaito's head dropped down to glance at his dove before returning onto the detective. Shinichi raised a brow.

Kaito finally throws his head back and lets out a groan that Shinichi would have called dramatic if he didn't share the sentiment.

Turning around, Kaito ambled into another room with the feathery troublemaker in tow. Shinichi was certain he could hear the thief scolding the bird, in the same style of a mother scolding its child. There was the sound of muffled rustling and footsteps before Kaito returned, thankfully without the dove. The detective had interpreted the thief's actions that he was going to hand over the pair of band-aids to him, so Shinichi had the palm of his hand outstretched. However, that wasn't the case as Kaito's hand retreated mid-way, Shinichi folded his leg over the other; giving 

the other a questioning look.

"Allow me", Kaito said, plopping onto the empty spot next to Shinichi's.

"Oh no, it's fine. Let me do it myself." Shinichi tried to move away, but Kaito was quicker; grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him closer. Shinichi had no problem in expressing his displeasure. But his feelings did not affect Kaito, who was peeling the band-aid off the wrapper. He held the band-aid up to the light and sent an innocent, childlike smile in Shinichi's direction. 

"Please, darling".

Shinichi bit his lips, averting his gaze. Why wouldn't the man let him do it himself? Shinichi racked his brain a bit further. Perhaps, the thief was feeling guilty that his dove was the cause of all the morning issues. 

"It's not a big deal..." Shinichi began, only to pause when Kaito scooted closer, hovering the adhesive bandage over Shinichi's hand. Shinichi sighed in defeat. So persistent as usual.

"Fine..do what you must," Shinichi grumbled. His cynical answer was met with a delighted, "Thank you" leaving the man's lips.

In the end, Kaito had achieved in covering Shinichi's forehead, and the back of his hands with pink bandages. Shinichi peeped down at his hands. 

"Thanks.." the detective muttered softly, missing the affectionate look the thief reciprocated. The pair spent the next seconds in silence, with Kaito observing and Shinichi pretending to find false interest with something outside the window.

Knowing the moment was coming to its end, Kaito leapt up to his feet, smacking his hands together before offering his right hand to the still sitting detective who took the offer wordlessly. Kaito's pupils dilated somewhat at the sudden warmth. 

"Now, what would you like for breakfast?" Kaito asked, with a slight smile.

"Surprise me".

Kaito's steps led the pair to the kitchen where the man gestured to Shinichi to take a seat at the table. The detective remained quiet as the thief's head disappeared out of view. The clacking of pots and pans could be heard as the man reappeared with a frying container in his possession. 

Placing the pan onto the stovetop, Kaito wandered about in a bold manner picking up ingredients from his fridge. His culinary skills only extended to scrambled eggs, omelettes and cooking sausages, so that's what Shinichi was getting. 

Kaito had taken it upon himself to ensure the detective ate healthily since the unforgettable discovery of stocked up cups of instant noodles hidden in the back of detective's kitchen shelf. A moment later, the smell of sausages filled the kitchen as the smell drew Shinichi's attention back to the man as he was gently bending the sausages into their shapes.

Feeling satisfied with the results, Kaito flipped off the stove switch and prepared to dish up the food. 

Thank you", Shinichi said as the man laid his plate in front of him.

"No problem, darling. Just eat up now", Kaito replied, smiling to himself as he settled himself down on the other end.

The meals were eaten in silence, with the expectation of the clinking of cultery. 

"Is it to your liking?" Kaito asked. The man wasn't used to cooking for anyone else but himself. Usually, stuff like this didn't bother him, yet Shinichi was special to him. He needed everything to be flawless when the man was around. Kaito almost dropped his fork when Shinichi looked up, wearing a warm smile. 

"Yes, it's perfect". 

All the tension that had built up in Kaito's shoulders evaporated upon hearing those words. "I'm glad to hear that." He truly was. 

Kaito was slightly startled when Shinichi chose to commit to the short discussion. 

"So, uh...what time do you go to work today?". Kaito frowned; pretending to wear a mocking thinking expression before answering. 

"Hmm...today's going to be a bit different", Kaito began, pausing on his words when Shinichi gave him a puzzled look. Aw, that's cute. 

"Different in what way?", the detective straightened himself up, his full attention now fixated on Kaito. 

Kaito grinned and leaned forward, "You see detective, I thought this time, maybe you and I can perhaps walk out of that door, together. Of course, you're going to have to promise me you're not going to cause any mischief like you running away." 

Shinichi crossed his arms; narrowing his eyes.

"What brought this thought on all of a sudden?". At the comment, Kaito shrugged; leaning back into the chair. The shit-eating grin still laced on his lips. 

"Simply think of it as a reward for saving my life." 

Standing up, Kaito brazenly sauntered over to Shinichi's side and outstretched his hand. 

"Do we have an agreement, then?" the man queried. Kaito could almost see Shinichi's mind working even as his breath stalled in his chest in instinctual anticipation. 

And when the detective belatedly glanced up, meeting Kaito's look with a glint in his eyes. 

Kaito felt chills trickle down his spine. Oh, he adored that expression so much. 

Kaito could have lost himself in his reverie if it wasn't for the consciousness of Shinichi's fingers entwining with his own. He blinked. Once. Then, twice.

Shinichi must have found his reaction somewhat amusing as a soft chuckle was overhead. 

"You've got deal, Mr criminal". 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! See you!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features Kaito being a bully, a small celebration of our boi's bday (sorry I had planned on posting it on May 4th but it took so long to write)  
> and finally Shinichi getting SERIOUS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS A CHAPTER SPECIAL  
> THATS WHY ITS 3000 WORDS LONGG
> 
> I had planned on having bday chapter to be as side story but then I said 'nah' just compose it into the plot. I was going to make Shinichi's present a jewel but I was like nah, their relationship is still forming.. so yeah  
> A book it was. And I wanted to throw in the trope of Shinichi actually not being a dense idiot but he just likes analysing a lot. CUZ he's a detective. Ok, Imma shut up.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Prepare for maybe grammar errors and bad habit of switching between past and present. MA BAD.

  
It was late afternoon, and Kaito was having a shitty day. Everything he had wanted to buy for this specific occasion was out of stock. By the time he had arrived at the bakery, there were hardly any adequate cakes remaining except for a cheap-looking single-tier vanilla sponge with a mediocre handwritten 'Happy birthday' scrawled in the core. At least the owner was generous enough to add strawberries, and whipped cream to bring it that celebratory colour and freshness. Better than going back empty-handed, the man grimaced. Kaito wistfully paid; somewhat choking when he saw the price. It cost a whopping JP¥2746. 

The cake looked like it was going to collapse apart in any minute and the mere thought of that was putting Kaito on edge. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there. Some asshole decided that he needed to purchase the last five boxes of fireworks—what a selfish prick. Kaito groaned; there went his romantic idea of watching fireworks with his detective. So, to pretty much sum things up. It had been a shitty day indeed.

Kaito gawked at his frozen iPhone screen with disdain. Why the fuck did have to act up now? He shook the device. All his plans and everything else that was essential was stored there—even the directions to the book store. Kaito's scowl grew when the screen blinked before going blank. You got to be kidding me. He tapped on the screen. One. Then twice. 

"Useless piece of trash", the man muttered, shoving the dead device into his pocket. Alas, optimism still lingering upon, through the form of faint footsteps and a walking stick tapping on the concrete rhythmically.  
The man glanced sideways. An older woman was approaching. Should he ask her for help? Meh, just go for it. 

"Excuse me, Madam," Kaito called out; plastering a fraudulent smile on his lips. He hoped the expression would be enough to hide his stressful demeanour. The lady paused; giving Kaito an up and down look. It was apparent she was wary of him. Kaito kept his toothy smile on as he took his hands out of his pockets, shaking them. See? I'm a harmless guy. 

The trick worked. The lady's shoulders loosened, and she even threw a little smile his way as she grunty replied, "How can I help you, young man?". 

Raking a hand through his messy hair, Kaito moved closer. The look of scepticism was still there. He acted like he doesn't see it.   
"Do you know by any chance where the nearest book store is?". 

At the question, the lady's face brightens up like a light bulb. Kaito doesn't think much of it except the impression maybe she's an avid book lover herself. 

"If I recall..."  
The lady's face scrunches up, revealing her forehead wrinkles. Kaito studied the expression of her thinking face. Were it not for the lines on her face he'd have considered her sixty at the most given her sharp mind and natural motion. She brushes a strand of her wispy, grey hair aside. 

"Yes, I know where it is." 

The woman hobbles halfway, her gait somewhat wonky. "It's a few shops down. It has a stand of trays filled with books so you shouldn't miss it", the lady continued her description. Kaito nodded in acknowledgment. 

Oh, he was so close. 

" Thank you so much Madam", Kaito chirped gleefully; dipping his head before passing her a single, trimmed red rose he had magically conjugated up. The woman's lips morphed into the shape of an 'o'. 

"Oh my! What a beautiful flower!", she exclaimed, accepting the token."How did you-?"  
"Kaito simply winked. The lady let out a musical, wheezy laugh, understanding the meaning. 

"I'll let you be on your way then". 

Kaito bowed again, allowing her to past him. 

Once she was out his line of view, the man heaved a weary sigh before continuing his sortie.

Kaito did end up finding the book store. The store was wedged between two taller buildings. If it weren't for the nebulous description of the trays outside, Kaito would have strolled past out of absent-mindedness. The man marched to the door and pushed. He found himself in a room decorated with dust-covered shelves and a red-carpeted floor. About six other people were exploring the shelves; most of them looked like they were about to drop dead. Understandable. The place's atmosphere wasn't all that gratifying. 

"Welcome", the manageable greeting came from the clerk behind the counter. Shuffling forward, Kaito decided he would hunt for the fancied book Shinichi had been continuously discussing before relying on someone else's help. 

His detective had said this book was a limited edition copy of his favourite author, meaning it would be arduous to find. Kaito scoffed to himself; he was up to the challenge. And if he were successful, did it would mean he would be able to observe Shinichi reading comfortably on his sofa, with that dainty expression and the weird habit he does when turning the pages? Let's say yes to that. 

After scouting the shelves for what felt like 30 minutes, Kaito was in luck. The red-covered book with a shimmering golden inscription was buried in the far corner shelf that Kaito hasn't thought to check out. The man breathed a 'teehee' backed up with glee as he readily stretched out, unhesitant to remove it. 

His fingers had touched the spine when out of nowhere; another hairy hand grasped the bottom. The smile on the Kaito's lips vapoured in an instant. In its place was a deep frown. Kaito elevated his head up, meeting a harsh glare belonging to a middle-aged man dressed in a shoddy suit. 

"I had my hand on it first", the man declared in a way too childlike manner. Kaito raised a brow; his grip tightening on the book's spine. The action doesn't go unnoticed by the other man who scowls. Irritation sparked in his eyes.

"Didn't you hear me?". He advanced closer. 

Kaito stood up, not for the man's sake but merely for his knees that were beginning to feel sore.   
He ran his hand through his messy, brown hair three times in quick succession. 

"Yeah I heard ya", Kaito grumbled, his eyes falling on the other. The man's perspiring face was annoying him. He didn't have time to deal with these types of people. 

"Then can you take your hand off?".   
A small laugh escaped Kaito's lips, "And if I don't?"   
Kaito's answer resulted in the man's chest puffing up. The display reminded Kaito of those ugly fishy things that have spikes on them. What were they called again? Oh yeah.

"Are you trying to be a pufferfish?" Kaito taunted, beaming when the man's face goes red, almost the identical shade of the rose he had given to the old lady. 

"Are you insulting me you little shit?".   
Kaito smirks intensifies. 

"You don't even look like the type of person to read so why the hell you here?" 

Kaito calmly blinked. 

"Bold of you to assume I'm gonna be the one to read this", Kaito gestured to the book for significance. The man grunted in evident dissatisfaction. 

"Well then, tell whoever you're running an errand for, tell them, I'm buying the book".   
Kaito shook his head. "I afraid I cannot do that since I believe I need the book more than you." 

The man gritted his teeth; edging closer until he was looming over Kaito like a wall—a wall asking to be knocked down. 

"Give me your fucking reason", he gnarred, all up in Kaito's personal space. The other man sighed loudly. He could feel a splitting headache rising.  
"You see, it's my friend's birthday today, and he's being wanting this book for ages-"

"I don't give a shit", the man rejoined abruptly; shoving Kaito back. The shove was forceful enough for Kaito to lose his grip on the book and to his horror; watched the older man haul the item out of the shelf with no reverence.

"Hold up a minute; you didn't give me your reason!" Kaito rebuked, recomposing himself. 

The man took his sweet time to tuck the oh so valuable book under his sweaty armpit. It was a revolting sight to witness.

"My reason?" the man simpered. "This is a trend these days among my other fellow workers. Of course, when they lose interest, I'm going to throw-"

At that moment, Kaito's patience snapped. He couldn't care less about the man trying to promote his image and not look like a pitful loser in front of his peers. But if the man thought Kaito was going to let him get away with discarding the book like trash, then he had another thing coming.   
His dear Shinichi had been searching for it for months. 

It was as clear as day on who should acquire the book. 

"Hand it over", Kaito snarled darkly, his eyes becoming animalistic. The man pursed his lips and spat. His spit landed on Kaito's cheek.

"I told you my reason! Didn't you-"

Without wiping the spit from his face, the younger man leant closer, entirely composed and uttered just four words, "I don't fucking care."

And without letting a man say a word, Katio dived; hurling a punch into the man's stomach. A sharp groan left the worker's lips as he hunched over in shock, his eyes stretched to the point Kaito could see the pupil's whiteness. 

"That fucking hurt!", the man yowled like a whiny toddler; he was still clutching his stomach as he made a futile attempt to stand. Kaito cocked his head to the side, a sneer playing on his lips. 

"Of course it's going to hurt, you stupid old man. Have you never been punched before?". An audible groan was all the befallen individual could muster. Realizing his opponent could no longer provoke any more arguments, Kaito ambled past with a trace of mirth in his steps. 

"I'll be taking this", Kaito chortled, palpable delight written all over his face, as he scooped up the book in a single motion. The man began spouting vulgar curses, none which were taken to heart. Kaito stood there as still as a corpse and just as pallid, unblinking against the other's assault. Then with a barely concealed grin, he turned on his heels and walked away as if he hasn't noticed the man at all. 

"Get back here, you little shit! You're going to pay for this big time!" the man's continuous tantrum never reached the other's ears. 

Kaito settled the book on the wooden counter with ease and grace; conscious of the store assistant's apprehensive out of focus gaze. Kaito leaned over the edge. 

"Can I pay?", the question drew the fazed assistant back to existence. It took the young teen a second to comprehend he had a customer. 

"A-Ah, yes!", came the stuttered reply. The boy's movements were jerky and unnatural as he moved about, indicating he's had little experience in this profession. The price popped up on the screen.

"Uh, that will be JP¥3946". 

Kaito felt his credit card weep a little. Nevertheless, he handed his credit card over involuntarily—the things people do for the sake of love. 

"Have a nice day, sir", the teen expressed the greeting in a robotic pitch. 

Fuck the 'nice day' slogan. 

Kaito could only pray his struggles of today's mission would be enough to impress. 

It was late evening by the time Kaito made it back to his residence, and by that point, he was surprised he hasn't dropped dead yet. Arriving at the penthouse door, Kaito wondered whether his nose was sensing the wrong smell. He smelt something burning. His doubts were confirmed when he noticed a grey haze seeping out from under the door's crack.   
Kaito gulped; inserting the key and turning it. 

Peering inside, Kaito struggled to breathe as he manages to spot the detective near the stove area, wafting about the kitchen like a bird. An air conditioning sheet in each hand. 

"You should try opening the windows", Kaito advised, making his presence known. Shinichi whipped around, a startled expression painted on his face. The sheets float to the floor. 

"Kaito!" the detective asserted in a tone mixed with merriment and something else Kaito couldn't quite pinpoint. The owner boldly walked into the room, analyzing the site. 

Shinichi convulsed out an awkward chortle.   
"I tried to cook...something since I didn't know when you would be back..", the detective trailed off; deciding he didn't have the fortitude to say anymore; instead closes his mouth and proceeds to cleaning up. Sorrowfully, the man misses the ghostly smile that was tugging on Kaito's lips. 

"That's ok. I brought us a cake."

"Oh, nice", the response is lukewarm. 

"I also have something to give you". 

This comment grabbed Shinichi's attention. The detective paused to send an inquisitive look. 

"What is it?"

Kaito brought his index finger to his lips. "You will find when we go to the rooftop." Shinichi's eyes widened slightly. 

"You have a rooftop?". Kaito ducked his head into an enthusiastic nod. 

"You can go ahead and check it out while I clean everything up here." 

Shinichi suspiciously eyed that animated expression. "What makes you think I won't run away?" 

Kaito was very suddenly smiling. "Curiosity will get the best of you, detective." Shinichi couldn't help but feel charmed by the fond smile bestowed upon him. 

Heh, the criminal was accurate on that, Shinichi admitted to himself. He may as well trust the offer. 

"Ok, I'll go." Shinichi took a few hurried strides across the room. "But don't come complaining to me once you see the mess I've made". 

Folding his arms across his chest, Kaito struck a presumptuous stance. "I rest assure you, darling. I won't utter a single objection". 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Night had fallen fast upon the city. Frigid air swirled around Shinichi taking every lick of warmth it could. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself, pulling his coat closed and tucking his chin down into his pullover.  
He watched in taciturnity, the different coloured lights flashing below. Tiny vehicles rushing along tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of dots - they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess. It wasn't that hard, for Shinichi to detect the thief's presence as the man's footsteps could be heard trudging up the stairs. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting", Kaito's silky voice broke in from behind, his faltering steps drawing closer. Shinichi's head swivelled; eyes enlarging when they landed on a candlelit sponge cake resting in Kaito's hands. The cake, no doubt, had a hellish story to tell, with its sides mushed in and the cream dripping off.

Kaito let out a feeble chuckle. 

"I promise you; it did look better before I carelessly dumped it in the middle of the hallway", the man protested, setting the cake on the flat surface of the roof's edge. Shinichi merely nodded. He still couldn't grasp the full meaning of the whole celebratory attitude. 

"What's the occasion?" 

Kaito, chin on his hand, looked at Shinichi with an amused expression. "I was hoping you would already know the answer to that, detective." 

Shinichi blinked at the unexpected answer, his lips forming a frown.   
Seeing Shinichi still looking a little perplexed at his response, Kaito snapped his fingers, and out of thin air, appeared a wrapped up book in front of the detective's eyes, which he luckily caught. 

Shinichi's eyes moved up from the book to Kaito's face, back to the book.   
When Kaito motioned for the detective to unwrap it, Shinichi obliged. A white card pictured with an all too familiar black doodle and neat handwriting next to it was the first thing to meet the detective's startled eyes. 

"O-Oh, it's my birthday..". Shinichi wanted to smack himself, mentally. Kaito let out a pleasant laugh, which was way too distracting for the detective. 

"I can't believe you forgot your own anniversary".   
Shinichi pouted, pretending he didn't at all find the man's laugh attractive. "Shut up.," Shinichi mumbled, playfully punching the other's shoulder lightly. Still snickering at the revelation, Katio poked at the half- unwrapped up gift. 

"You still haven't gotten to the best part", the man teased as Shinichi rolled his eyes. "I'm getting there, you impatient outlaw". 

When all the paper had finally been ripped off, Shinichi turned the item over in his hands, letting his eyes roam freely. He raised his eyes to Kaito, who had that look in his eye, caught between pride and fear of rejection. Before Kaito could speak, Shinichi's lips broke into the most genuine smile, Kaito had ever gotten out from the other man. 

"I don't know how you managed to your hands on this book or the fact you knew it was my birthday". Shinichi's gaze moves to meet Kaito's own.  
"Unless you being doing excessive research on me..."

Kaito almost sweatdropped when he heard that. Instead, he breathed out a playful chuckle. Best not to tell the other man about his collection of I-know-almost-everything about-you books stored in his bedroom.   
"But all I can say is...." Shinichi trailed off, his eyes settling back on the item that had gained his dutiful attention. Kaito hated to admit; he wished he was that book right now. 

"Thank you... this is probably the best birthday gift someone had given me", Shinichi finished, a docile smile gracing his beautiful face. Kaito flushed a little and started nibbling on a strawberry. Ugh, it tasted dull. He plopped the half-eaten fruit back onto the cake. 

"I'm glad to hear that. I do have to admit, it was a little difficult to find," a gentle smile escaped the thief's lips. His voice becoming quiet and faraway. 

"Though, after seeing you smile like that, I guess it was worth it". Kaito muttered composedly, audible enough to be heard. Shinichi stared at the man silently, observing. 

There was it again—the sense of yearning in the man's voice. During the first day of the abduction, Shinichi thought he had imagined it, thinking it was part of man's flirtatious behaviour. Yet, he soon realized he was wrong. The emotion was definitely targeted at him. Which is why now a   
single question was hanging on the tip of Shinichi's tongue. Should he ask? 

In the end, the detective gave in. 

"Kaito, do you like me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! See you!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick note:
> 
> The story starts with Shinichi in the present arriving at a crime scene as the he had spent the previous night, staying awake ( I don't know why lol). Then there's a flashback though Shinichi's memory of Conan/himself taking the pill while at the same time Kaito is trying to contact Conan before the whole next section is dedicated to Kaito at Jii's Funeral. Then Kaito just mysteriously disappears.
> 
> Feel free to comment and send Kudos! See you in the next chapter!!


End file.
